Markus is leaning against the wall, looking outside at the lights of Montillo from the bedroom window. The majority of the town can be seen from the third floor of the inn located in the northern section. By chance, the room faces south, giving a clear view of the area. Its late at night, and activity around town has ceased for the day.

Eventually, Markus removes himself from the wall and turns his attention back inside the room. It's a decent size, with dark wood floors and landscape paintings on the walls. All of the furniture is made of hand carved wood. There's a queen bed along with a small nightstand next to it. Right across from it is a large dresser where Eclair and Aurora are sitting with their personal bags. The two top drawers have been pulled out, allowing the girls to have their own area for sleeping.

All of Markus' belongings have been tossed in the corner beside the dresser. Even his boots have finally come off, much to the relief of his feet. Only his blue shirt, beige cargo pants, and white socks are worn now.

Walking to a door beside the bed, Markus opens it and steps inside the small bathroom. A vanity with a sink is right in front of the door. He turns the faucet and washes his face, before looking up to the mirror above the sink. Turning his head right, he looks again at the square looking toilet next to the vanity, then to the standing shower past it. The shower has copper valves with the shower head on the ceiling, but it works just as well as any back home. Markus shakes his head at the sight.

When finished, Markus pulls the string to the light fixture above in the bathroom. Again, the glowing rocks are inside. Pulling the string causes the light fixture to twist in a 'closed' position where solid black panels block the light.

Aurora and Eclair have been curiously watching Markus as he wanders around the room. Both have seen the foreign tools and objects he's carried on him, but neither had the courage to ask about them. Everyone has been inside their own minds since arriving at the inn room. There's a stillness between the group as each person keeps to themselves.

Markus sits on the bed, with the fae sitting on the dresser to the left of him. Aurora has her satchel sitting on top of her folded legs. He can see her digging through the belongings, and occasionally stopping when she finds a memory of her old life. He can tell the dagger she owns is special, as she fidgets with it the most. Sometimes, a hint of sadness shows on her face as she touches it.

Eclair is occupied with her own bag too. She's already taken off her sword and armor, placing them in a pile beside her, and is now busy organizing. She digs into her bag to make space in specific areas. However, she's fast and soon runs out of things to do. Markus can tell Eclair's personality isn't going to let her stay quiet for long, and he notices her fingers are already tapping the bag.

“Hey Markus... how did you end up in our world? I haven't really heard the whole story.” As if on cue, Eclair speaks up to break the silence.

Markus and Aurora perk up at her question. He wasn't expecting Eclair to ask that about him, but he realizes it's a honest question. They're traveling partners, and asking about each other isn't strange. He closes his eyes to think of a response, and soon comes up with a way to know more about everyone.

“Alright, I'll tell you more about me. But in exchange, tell me more about you and why you went along with this trip.” Markus replies to Eclair, then turns to Aurora to say “Same goes for you. Tell me what happened the night we met.” She doesn't say anything back, but doesn't say no to the idea either.

Markus takes a deep breath, and starts talking “The reason I'm here today is because I'm a goddamn idiot.”

Aurora and Eclair immediately stop what they're doing to look up at Markus. Neither was expecting such a blunt start, and are now very curious about what Markus will say.

“It all started with a shooting trip to the woods with a close friend. We found the gateway by accident like I mentioned before. It was pure dumb luck, but we thought it was an amazing discovery. Something that might lead to riches and fame for us. I volunteered as the person to go to the other side, loaded with as much supplies and weapons as I could carry.” Markus stretches himself as he continues. “The portal sent me to the cave system we visited. I ended up meeting the bat-woman named Versa there, but we were attacked by a giant spider soon after.”

Markus' face is stoic as he recalls the fight with the giant spider. The girl's are leaning closer and are now listening intently to the story. It was still hard to believe Markus killed such a dangerous creature in the caves.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Continuing the story, Markus says “When I tried to return back through the gateway, I found it already closed. I then saw the lights of Little Creek. I wandered through the forest following the lights until Aurora found me. So that's my story. That's it.”

There's a short pause from Markus, but then he suddenly reacts with frustration. “Goddammit! That's not it.” Aurora and Eclair are startled by his shift in tone. As he keeps talking, his voice becomes faster and angrier. “I messed up. I had no reason to come to your world. I wasn't a desperate failure or someone looking to die.”

“I have a loving family back home. I'm close to my mom and dad, my younger brother and sister. Same with my grandparents and cousins and other relatives. I even graduated from college with a business degree, and finally found a good job. I'm twenty-five and had everything to live for. “ Markus is breathing heavily, but his voice begins calming down.

As Markus relaxes back to his usual self, he mutters “I had no reason... to be here. Everyone has that feeling of mediocrity in their lives. I was starting to feel it too. My life was blurring together. I took a random chance through a portal.” The girl's take a quick glance at each other. Markus realizes how he's acted, and apologizes with “I'm sorry, I'm just angry at myself.”

Almost a minute passes by with only silence. Slowly, Eclair begins to open her mouth to respond to Markus. Her voice stutters briefly, but gains strength as she says “I-I-I volunteered because I wanted to do something exciting with my life!” Markus and Aurora turn their attention toward Eclair as she begins to talk.

“I come from a big family. Mother and father are important town members, and my brothers and sisters are all older than me. No one really had time for me, so I tried lots of hobbies growing up. But... truth is I'm not good at a lot of things. I honestly think cooking is my best skill, so when I was old enough I wanted to try opening a restaurant or inn.” Eclair's face suddenly loses it's passion, and her voice softens.

“Except... no one wanted to help me, not even my famly. Then one day a friend said I should join the town militia. There were openings, and one was for a cook. I figured it would be good experience, maybe learn some things. That's how I ended up in the militia, night shift.” Eclair pauses as she thinks about the next thing to say. Her outgoing personality is clearly subdued as she keeps talking about herself.

“I like my job... I guess. The militia taught me to fight, and I'm paid decent, and sometimes I get to go on patrols like the night we met. Its just... there's this feeling my life was slipping away. Yesterday and today is probably the most excitement I've had in years. I decided you might be the best chance to see the sights outside of Little Creek, and learn new things about myself.” Eclair says the last sentence directly to Markus.

“So that's why I'm here. I spoke with Jonathan about it, and he pulled some strings for me to join you if I did some official errands.” A sigh of relief then escapes from Eclair. She feels much better now after talking, and a quick smile flashes across her face.

Markus is sitting quietly as he observes Eclair. He wasn't expecting her to have such a broad range of emotions. “Well, that explains why your not that good of a guard.” Markus says with a smile. He then turns to Aurora.

Immediately, she can feel the gaze of Markus. Aurora stiffens as she realizes it's now her turn to speak. The feeling grows as she notices Eclair also looking at her with longing eyes.

Aurora quickly gives in to the pressure, and lets out a sigh. An annoyed tone comes from her words as she talks “Fine. Fine. I'll say my part. There's a stupid reason for me being here. Do you know why I was on trial in the first place? It's because I fell asleep! ASLEEP! I'm a guard who fell asleep at her post... That's my story. I'm done.” Aurora then crosses her arms and begins pouting.

“What? That can't be it.” Markus interjects right away. “What about before the incident? Or what happened right after in the morning? You can't just be a guard who fell asleep.”

Aurora snaps back instantly. “Of course not! Up until a few months ago I was a scout! One of the best. Everything changed once that bitch Vera became the new commander.” Once the words left her mouth, Aurora realizes she let slip some personal details. She can already see Markus preparing to ask follow up questions.

“Argggg fine, alright.” Aurora shakes her head in frustration. “I've been a scout since the day I could join the militia. A few months ago our scout commander retired, and was replaced by Vera. We hated each other right away. She didn't get the position for skill, but because of connections.” An angry tone can now be heard in her voice as she continues talking.

“Bad management, conflicting schedules, poor communication. So many issues were caused by her! I finally snapped when Vera almost got some new recruits killed on a long patrol. We had a violent argument, and I had to be restrained after giving her a good punch. I was demoted on the spot...” Aurora's voice softens after her burst of anger, with her mood turning gloomy as she continues the story.

“I was transferred after that, sent to guard duty. I thought it would be a fresh start... but I was wrong. Everything fell apart. With the scouts, I was up before the break of dawn each day. I was traveling all over the land... but as a guard, I was forced into the night perimeter shift. Stuck in the same spot every night. I couldn't adjust... I kept falling asleep or daydreaming. I was constantly reprimanded. I started drinking because I hated everything.” Tears are barely visible at the corners of her eyes. Aurora's face has lost any hint of anger, showing only sadness now.

A few moments pass before Aurora starts talking again. “Even if nothing had happened when we met, my career was over... It was only a matter of time.” When she finishes speaking, she changes her sitting position so that her legs are bent in front. She then wraps her arms around her legs and buries her face into her knees.

Markus can't help feeling sorry for both of the fae, especially Aurora. No matter what happens, she's the only one that doesn't have a home to return to now. As he starts mentally rehearsing some comforting lines, Markus sees Eclair nervously tapping her bag again while staring at Aurora. Eclair suddenly lifts herself off dresser and rushes to Aurora. In a single motion, she embraces Aurora in a big hug. No words are spoken, but Markus sees Aurora gently pat Eclair's arm.

“Maybe we're all a match for each other.” Markus says under his breath. It's late at night, but the exact time is unknown to him. Deciding it would be a wise idea to finish the session, he says “You girls should turn in for sleep. It's going to be a long day tomorrow.”

Eclair looks up from her hug, and Aurora only lifts her head up slightly from her knees. Both give half-hearted nods in agreement at the suggestion. Soon, the pair are preparing for sleep inside their individual drawers. Markus had brought them hand towels from the bathroom to use as blankets earlier.

Markus then walks over to his combat vest, and removes the pistol from the holster. He walks back to the bed, and places the pistol on top of the nightstand. The sheets are pulled back as he also prepares for a good rest.

Markus turns his head back to the dresser and says “I appreciate what you both have done for me. You're the only friends I have in the world right now.”