"What was the name of that town," Lilith asked, trying to make conversation with Sorin.

"Clovermead," he responded, eyes focused on the road ahead. "Up ahead is one called Bethelburg. I was there some days ago."

Lilith would nod and then follow his gaze to the road, in a sense copying what he was doing. As much as she wanted to keep talking with him, she felt it was for the best she held her tongue and kept quiet. "Don't speak unless you're spoken to," her mother would say to her. "That's how a proper lady should be."

And for what reason are you concerned about that woman said to you? She's dead.

Melantha's criticizing tone didn't go unnoticed, the realization that mother still had a hold on her even when she was no longer alive dawning after. It was as if these habits were engraved into her. But of course, living that way for what was her whole life so far, how could she break those habits? And it didn't help that Sorin was abrasive as he was, unwelcome to conversation. The conversation earlier in his inn room was only possible because he was still waking up. If she tried to talk with him some more, he'd probably just tell her to be quiet for the rest of the walk until they got to this Bethelburg town. And it would just show that she was better off just waiting until he spoke to her first.

"What's with that look?"

"Huh?" Lilith blinked and looked up at Sorin, who was staring at her with a raised brow.

"I don't know, you looked like you were trying to make up your mind about something but also seemed kinda.. conflicted?"

"Ah, that." He actually caught that? Or was she just that easy to read? "It's, um... It's nothing."

At that, suddenly he moved right in front of her, Lilith barely stopping her pace in time before she crashed into him. Though, what surprised (and frightened) her more was that expression on his face, a glare more intense than the one he gave her back in Clovermead. She had to take a step back, hands up and over her chest defensively.

"If you have a problem with me, just say it," he hissed, his glare unrelenting. "Otherwise, I'm gonna go my own way. I don't give a fuck about your money or what happens to you if you actually have a problem with me."

"N-no, it's just-" Lilith lowered her gaze to the ground, unable to keep looking at him with how angry he obviously was. It was too uncomfortable. "I don't... I don't know if it's okay to talk to you."

Now it was Sorin's turn to blink in surprise, eyes widened slightly at this girl who looked like she was fighting with herself in her mind moments earlier. And it turned out it was because she wasn't sure if she should talk with him?

"You were worried... about that?" He turned to his right a bit, pinching the bridge of his nose a bit. "Alright, new policy to add: From here on, if you have a problem that involves me, just fucking tell me. How am I supposed to know what the hell you're getting hung up about unless you tell me? If there's one thing I can't stand, it's people not being honest about their problems with me."

"So then.. it's okay to talk with you?" As she said this, she raised her head to look up at him, moving her hands lower so they were crossed over her stomach a bit.

"Yeah, but don't fire off a million questions a minute. That's another thing I can't stand."

"Sounds like there's a lot of that."

"Believe me, it's a fucking list."

Lilith couldn't help but laugh at that, quickly quieting down as he turned again to face the road once more.

"C'mon, we have to keep moving," he said, motioning with his hand that she follow. Continuing with their walk, she walked beside him, the quiet between them not feeling as heavy or awkward as it did before. That in itself felt refreshing, and it wasn't because it was with Sorin. Lilith wondered if all those carriage rides with her parents could have been anything like this, instead of the tense air that it always was. Like walking on eggshells whenever she was in their presence. Now, she didn't feel as afraid as before.

"I think you should look into getting a map," Sorin suggested, glancing at her. "I mean, you don't know shit about these lands, so kinda best you familiarize yourself with some names. Would save me some trouble too."

"A map? Well, I guess you're not wrong about that.. I could stand to learn a bit more, and it could help us navigate."

"Glad you understand my point on that. Besides, you have the money for it, so shouldn't be a big deal."

It would be another hour or so of being on the road until they reached the town of Bethelburg, this town larger than the previous Clovermead. The cobblestone pavement of the streets were more even here, more crowds in the street of passersby trying to get from Point A to Point B. Event the sidewalks were smoother, more level than they were in Clovermead. Lilith gazed around occasionally, being mindful not to make it too obvious that she wasn't familiar with the town. Looking too much like a tourist might draw attention to them, so best to keep things subtle.

"Lilith, go and get that map," Sorin started, pausing his walk to meet her gaze. "I'm going to scout around first. We don't know if Dragon's Blood have anyone here."

"Ah, is it a good idea to go on your own? Shouldn't I go along with you?"

"It's best I do it alone," he explained with a shrug, his stare becoming more serious. "I'd most likely go unnoticed if I'm on my own. And besides, you're still new to all this stuff so you'd just end up getting in the way and slowing me down."

"Mn, I guess... You have a point there," she said reluctantly. As much as she hated to admit, he was right that her inexperience would only be a hindrance in trying to find a dangerous foe like Dragon's Blood. She had no idea what she was up against, and she didn't know everything there was to her powers from Melantha just yet either. Sorin, on the other hand, had his dragon awakened for far longer than her, so it was safe to assume he was proficient by now with the imbued fire manipulation. Trying to "help" would probably get one of them or both killed.

"Alright, lay low then," Sorin advised her, walking away from her as he went off to do his own investigation. Lilith watched him walk away for a moment before turning her gaze back to the sidewalk, taking a breath as her hands gripped the straps of her backpack. She knew that she agreed that she wouldn't have him hold her hand through everything but... Being on her own like this was still unsettling. Could she really get a map on her own without his help? It sounded so simple but it wasn't as if she couldn't screw it up. She couldn't even do the simple things her mother asked of her, like catching the eye of a nobleman or aristocrat.

Stupid girl. Are you really that helpless?

Lilith's gaze lowered to the ground a bit, taking another breath to calm her nerves. Sorin was busy right now, so she had to do what she was tasked to do. She couldn't inconvenience him further than she already had. Swallowing hard, she lifted her gaze to look up and began to walk, eyes glancing at shop signs to find something or anything that would seem like they'd sell maps. Weaving her way around crowds and people, she kept focus as she walked, her heart beating so loud in her ears. She eventually spotted a general store, figuring that was a good place to start for now. Besides, she wanted to get out of some of the public eye, Lilith pushing open the door and stepping in, bells chiming from above the doorway.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Welcome," called the female cashier, greeting her. Though it seemed that cashier was already preoccupied with helping another customer standing in front of her counter. Lilith would keep her pace casual as she walked down the short aisles, trying to locate where the maps were. It was when she turned a corner that she bumped into someone, Lilith stumbling back some as her hand came up to her shoulder to rub where she was bumped. It was then she quickly noticed the girl she had collided with, a girl with light brown skin and shoulder length blonde hair with pale blue eyes. Her attire was a white v-neck shirt, jean pants that were ripped at the knees, tan hiking boots, and many bracelets around her right wrist. Around her shoulder was the strap of a satchel bag.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry," the girl spoke up, stepping closer. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"Ah, no.. I'm alright," Lilith replied, rolling her shoulder a bit. "Sorry about that. What about you?"

The girl was staring a bit too intensely for Lilith's liking, a little unnerved by it as she took a step back. Though the other girl quickly caught on to that, snapping out of her (possible?) daydreaming.

"I'm okay, too. But, um..." The girl looked around a bit before motioning to Lilith to follow her, stepping away and heading further back into the store. Lilith watched a moment and hesitated, wondering if this was a good idea to follow a stranger to a place other eyes can't watch. Well, what was really the worst that could happen here? Taking a quiet breath to steady herself, she followed after the strange girl to the back of the store, the girl's smile broadening into a grin when she saw Lilith show up.

"You... I thought I was sensing something but I didn't think you'd walk into this store," she quickly started, keeping her voice low yet excited.

"Er, sense? What do you mean by that?"

"Huh? Oh, here, let me show you." The girl would bring her right arm, rolling down the bracelets to show a gentle wavy blue line marking around her wrist. The color and shape was far too detailed to be just any old birthmark, something Lilith was catching onto.

"You're.. You're a... Carrier?" Lilith's voice was a whisper, stunned by this revelation. To think another carrier would be encountered so quickly after meeting Sorin. And in the next town they'd visit, no less!

"Yes! I'm just like you, I can feel it," the girl confirmed, nodding and pulling her bracelets back into place to cover her marking. "And, um, I think I sensed another for a moment? Kind of hard to tell right now, it feels really faint."

"Oh, that's Sorin. He's someone who's helping me, and the same as us."

"Goodness, it's not just one but two carriers I found in one day! Oh, I'm Amaya, by the way. Glad to meet you!"

"Lilith, and um, same."

"Lilith... Ah, do you mind if I call you Lily? So much cuter that way, don't you think?"

"I don't see why not."

"Ah, thank you, Lily! I'm so happy to meet you!" Amaya would suddenly step closer and hug Lilith, the black-haired girl caught off-guard by this. She stood there awkwardly and stiffly, her hand coming up to pat Amaya's back in a way to try to return the gesture. Albeit not a very good attempt at it. Amaya would step back, hands on Lilith's shoulders, and she'd smile warmly, Lilith now realizing the girl was a bit taller than her. Perhaps two or three inches taller? And this was the first time Lilith had ever been called a nickname. Or at least a decent nickname and not the horrid ones her parents had called her before, like Stupid Girl, Useless, and the recent Monster.

"So, is it alright if I go meet this Sorin? You see, I'm hoping I can join you both in.. whatever it is that you're doing," Amaya added, moving her hands away from Lilith and taking a step back. "I.. I don't want to be traveling alone, you know."

"Well, I guess we can go find Sorin and talk to him about it," Lilith mused, rubbing her chin. "But first thing's first, I need to buy a map of the land. Sorin told me it was best that I get one so I can be more familiar with the names of towns and cities."

"Ah, I think I saw them over here. C'mon, I"ll show you." Amaya made the same gesture as before, motioning that Lilith follow her, as she stepped away and headed to a different aisle in the store. Figuring it best to follow, Lilith trailed behind her to the other aisle, stopping where Amaya stood as she faced a shelf with rolled up scrolls. Amaya reached in and grabbed one, unfurling it to show a map of the land. Glancing over, Lilith also grabbed one to take a look, the style of the map she picked different from the one Amaya had. So this world... It was called Creavi? And where Clovermead and Bethelburg were in was a country called Athela, with a neighboring country to the north was Estra. And to the west was many other countries, but before she could properly read them, Amaya put her map over Lilith's.

"That one is kind of outdated. This one is better and more current," she said, specifically pointing to the west of Athela. Where there were once many countries was now just one, Agrus. Looking back to the older map, Lilith saw that Agrus was further out west before. Did that mean Agrus had gone and conquered its neighbors? And if that were the case, did it mean it was a matter of time before they invaded Athela and Estra?

"I think I know what you're thinking," Amaya said as she noticed Lilith's worried expression. "They did a recent, um, conquer some months ago. I think it'll be years before they trying something again since they have to focus on keeping order and gathering their strength."

"I see. That does bring some relief," Lilith commented, putting away the outdated map back on the shelf. "Thank you for helping me find this and telling me that."

"Of course! My pleasure to help you out, Lily! Now this means we can go find Sorin now, right?"

"Yes, let's pay for this and see if we can find him. Though we should do it cautiously. He mentioned that he wanted to scout around first for any threats in the town."

Amaya nodded at that, and Lilith turned to lead the way to the front counter. As she went about in paying for the map, she did wonder if she should tell Amaya that Sorin was only in on this for the money that Lilith was paying him. Then again, maybe she shouldn't tell her that, it might paint a bad first impression before they even met. And when the time came that Sorin would part ways, it was likely Amaya would stay since she mentioned she didn't want to travel alone anymore. That didn't sound so bad to Lilith, and it made the dread of separating from Sorin lighter. As it was, Amaya seemed much more cordial than Sorin, and easier to converse with too.

As they headed out of the store, Amaya would suddenly spring a bunch of questions at once on Lilith, mainly asking what her favorite things were. What would be normal questions to anyone else were much more difficult for Lilith to answer, mainly because she had no idea what some of her favorite things were. She just didn't have any. Not on purpose, but her parents' control really kept her life stagnant since they didn't have her make much choices on her own. And now this left her near speechless in front of Amaya, simply because she couldn't answer those questions.

"Sorry but I... Don't really have much favorites. I don't know what I like," she explained in a low voice, Amaya humming in thought.

"Well, that's okay, Lily. I'll just have to show you all the good stuff then!"

Lilith couldn't help the smile on her face on hearing that, glad and relieved that Amaya was being so understanding, so kind. It was a huge contrast to anything she had ever experienced. The only thing that came close was the kindness that Blair showed her in those days of being trapped in the manor. Blair made it possible for her to endure each day, and maybe.. maybe Amaya will make the days more enjoyable now that she was free.

"Anyway, what's this Sorin like? Is he nice," asked Amaya, which caugh Lilith off-guard.

"Er... it's a bit hard to say," Lilith started hesitantly as they walked through the streets. "I've only just met him yesterday so I don't really know him that well. I'd say he's a bit rough around the edges, though."

"Oh... Okay, that's no problem. Even if I end up not liking him, I mostly want to stick with you. You're really nice."

"Um, thank you. No one's ever said that about me."

"So that gives me the honor of being the first!" Amaya giggled happily at that, looking a bit proud of herself. "By the way, what was Sorin scouting for specifically? You said threats but what kind of threats?"

"Ahm, you've heard of Dragon's Blood, haven't you," asked Lilith, keeping her voice low.

"Oh, that's why... Actually, there's something I should tell you. You know how I told you I could sense you and Sorin? Well, I almost had an encounter with Dragon's Blood some months ago." At this, Lilith turned her head to look at Amaya with wide eyes, Amaya sighing quietly. "Obviously I'm okay, I was really lucky that the one in the area didn't have a sensing ability like I do. And honestly? They kind of feel the same way as you and Sorin. It's still different, but if I'm not careful, it'd be easy to mix up the two."

"Are you saying they're something like us? With a spirit?"

"I can't say for sure. I really don't know what it is that makes them different, though. But it makes a bit of sense, doesn't it? What better way to kill a dragon than with another dragon? Or something similar? But don't worry, I didn't sense them around here."

From what Sorin had told her earlier, it sounded as if Dragon's Blood were normal humans who somehow got a hold of a power that made it possible to kill carriers. But with what Amaya just told her, they really weren't human after all. And if they aren't human nor a carrier, then what are they? As it was, Lilith didn't know what exactly she'd be up against if she encountered someone from Dragon's Blood. Now, she wanted to keep an encounter from ever happening. Sorin was right to scout ahead and see if they were around, but with Amaya's invaluable ability, it'd make avoiding Dragon's Blood easier. They had to stick together, right? They should stick together... To survive.