What little light had managed to peak through the verdant canopy overhead was quickly beginning to fade away as night was fast approaching. The powerful pair of stallions pulling the old wooden wagon continued their trek forward along the muddied trail as directed. Hardened dirt and clay now clung to the creaking wheels that rotated along the ground, only stopping for a moment as the horses pulled the wagon over a dip in the road with a particularly deep puddle of mud. Nevertheless, the wagon had been guided through the small village of mud huts built into the roots of the massive trees of the Great Wiir Swamplands.

Magdalene sat beside of Aridean in the front of the wagon, swatting at mosquitos and quietly grumbling to herself. As the young girl softly moaned her own frustrations with the group’s mission, Aridean’s eyes shifted back to Vladimir, who sat comfortably against one railing of the wagon and was busy reading through one of his many books. The nobleman had not given any indication that he was aware of Aridean’s observation of him, so Aridean turned her head forward once more to watch the road. She let out a short, quick breath of surprise as she spied the group’s newest destination.

Sitting off the long, wet road was a sizable structure made of wooden supports and stones held by a plaster material. The building was situated on the edge of the swamp and a small boat dock was located behind it. Nearby was a stable that Aridean had already directed the horses toward. There were no other horses nor any other animal resting within the stable, likely indicating that this inn did not see much business given its remote location. Not too far from the front door to the inn stood a small, huddled group of three of the local lizarians, their malcontent eyes fixed squarely upon Aridean.

Okay… you can do this… just… gotta pretend I’m tough… Oh no, no, no! This is already a bad idea… Aridean thought to herself as a chill ran the length of both her spine and tail. Anxiousness had mentally overwhelmed the minotaur as the wagon came to a halt just beneath the shelter of the stable. As Aridean proceeded to disembark the team’s wagon, her horses had already begun to partake of the abundant hay spread throughout the small space.

Aridean’s ears flicked back at the sound of a low growl coming from the direction of the group of lizarians she had seen on her way to the stable. Both Magdalene and Vladimir glanced between their minotaur companion and the three strange lizard folk that had begun to make their approach. Aridean took a moment to focus her mind and simply breath as her nerves were very close to being set off and trigger another manic panic. Despite her racing heart and overwhelming uncertainty, the minotaur managed to put on a serious expression as she turned toward the inn’s less-than-hospitable welcoming party.

Presenting herself with a particularly ornery expression upon her furred face, Aridean managed a glare toward the group of lizardmen. Having become the focus of the seemingly intense minotaur, the trio of lizarians halted their advance. Low growls and sharp hissing could be heard from the reptilian natives, though one muttered something in the local tongue that Aridean failed to understand. As soon as whatever was discussed between the group, the largest of the three fixated on Aridean, his eyes narrowing and brows furrowing with another growl. Aridean had returned the hostile gesture in kind to which the large lizardman snorted. With a shake of his head, the presumed leader of the group turned and started to walk away from the inn with his comrades in tow. After the three lizarians had reached a safe enough distance, Aridean let her tensed shoulders droop forward as she inhaled deeply.

I can still feel my heart pounding! That was far more daunting than I thought it was going to be and we didn’t even have to start a fight! I really hope we can get our business settled here soon… Aridean thought to herself as she took a few deep breaths to calm her flustered nerves. She had felt her body warm with embarrassment and concern over the prospect that the trio of lizarians might be looking for trouble given the minotaur’s duel upon entering the village. As Aridean slowly managed to recompose herself, she heard the squishing of mud from just around the wagon as both Vladimir and Magdalene disembarked from their transport.

“They actually fell for that… wow…” Magdalene commented sarcastically as she moved around the wagon to stand beside the minotaur. Her surprise over Aridean’s means to present herself in any sort of menacing manner was clearly evident in her tone. After the scene in the center of the village, Vladimir had warned Aridean that any spectators to the battle may look for a chance of their own to take up arms against her. It was by the nobleman’s suggestion that Aridean put forth the effort to express dominance through aggression and displays of strength. Although it was meant to help her prevent causing any further scene in Miahnn’uli, Aridean still found it both a strange means of avoiding conflict and a difficult strategy given her typical timid personality and shy demeanor.

“Nevertheless, you did a fine job demonstrating that you are a force not to be taken lightly in battle, Ms. Gray. Best to keep practicing your aggressive expressions, though. Should you be caught up in another duel, the whole of Miahnn’uli may seek combat against you,” Vladimir cautioned as he also moved around the wagon to stand in a huddle with the half-elf and minotaur. Aridean gave the man a quick nod of her head in understanding before looking back up the muddied road that the lizardmen had left on.

“Hopefully it doesn’t come to that… but do you think that last battle might at least give us some respect that we can leverage for our negotiations?” Aridean asked curiously as she turned back to the human at her side. Vladimir cupped his chin between finger and thumb as he hummed to himself. Quickly growing annoyed by the man’s non-silent and prolonged contemplation, Magdalene went to speak but flinched as a mosquito began buzzing about her face.

“I cannot say for certain, Ms. Gray. Although the high shaman had acknowledged your skill in combat, your opponent had been trying to uphold local traditions. Even then, it is quite likely that it would take far more than a single duel to earn any sort of reputation with the lizarians,” Vladimir eventually answered after having ruminated on Aridean’s question. Aridean let out a quiet groan at her companion’s response; she knew any sort of advantage she could utilize on this mission could potentially mean swift success.

“It must have counted for something; that high shaman lady invited us to speak with her tomorrow after all,” Magdalene chimed in as she swatted at a small swarm of mosquitos flying around her head. Having witnessed her companion in a mild amount of distress, Aridean gestured both Vladimir and Magdalene toward the front door to the inn building.

“I still have my doubts, Ms. Gray’s display may have made for some mixed first impressions. Ordinarily, the lizarians would welcome such activity, but given the circumstances leading up to the battle, things may not work in our favor as much as we might hope,” Vladimir continued to explain as the group walked across the moist ground. During the brief pause as the trio moved from stable to inn, Aridean’s ears flicked and eyes darted from side to side as she heard unseen birds cawing in the verdant canopy and splashes in the surrounding marshy waters. Upon reaching the door, the minotaur quietly sighed and shook her head in an effort to alleviate her flustered nerves over the whole operation that had brought the three out to the Wiir Swamplands.

“Whatever the case may be, the high shaman is expecting us tomorrow. For the time being, let’s just rest here for the day; we’ve been on the road for just over a week and I am looking forward to an actu—,” Aridean began to suggest. Her fingers had wrapped their way around the door handle to the inn, ready to pull open the way to restful evening. However, both Vladimir and Magdalene were left somewhat confused by the minotaur’s sudden silence and the concerned expression drawn across her face.

“Ari? You okay?” Maggie called out after a moment while crossing her arms over her chest. Aridean’s eyes immediately shifted over to the young girl from the wooden door she had been focused on. The young half-elf tilted her head to the side and her face portrayed a mildly annoyed but curious expression. With a deep breath, Aridean’s fingers fell from the door handle as the towering minotaur turned to Vladimir.

“I, uh, V-Vlad? C-could I ask you to g-get us rooms here? I-I… I d-don’t know if I should be the one to speak s-since word may have spread already of m-my fight,” Aridean anxiously inquired, her face heating up with a hot flood of embarrassment. Magdalene had merely rolled her eyes at the minotaur’s request though Vladimir had let loose a quiet chuckle before a smile appeared upon his face.

“You needn’t worry, Ms. Gray. While I don’t mean to offend, I take it that you are not exactly accustomed to speaking with the service staff at such establishments?” Vladimir replied with a gentle tone, which only seemed to exacerbate Aridean’s anxiety over the matter. Swallowing the nervousness forming in the back of her throat, the minotaur gave the human noble a simple nod of her head. The gesture was met with another low chuckle and Aridean’s hand was lifted from her side once more to grasp the door handle.

With a quiet creaking, the minotaur pulled the front door to the building open and allowed her compatriots to enter inside before her. Aridean’s hooves fell upon sturdy wooden flooring as she joined Magdalene and Vladimir inside the inn. Her eyes quickly darted around the room as she took in the eerily recognizable sights. The front room to the inn itself was quaint with wood flooring and panel walls upon which both paintings and photographs were hung near an extinguished fireplace. Comfortable looking chairs sat around small tables that were scattered throughout the space in around the hearth. There were only five doors leading to other rooms of the inn, one of which was labeled ‘Kitchen’ and another ‘Baths’. Despite the harsh location, the establishment seemed surprisingly well maintained and clean.

I’m guessing the last three doors lead to the guest rooms… It isn’t a very big inn, but it seems cozy enough for a night or two. Still though, I can’t imagine many coming to stay here given the location and the locals… Aridean contemplated as her eyes continued to survey the room. As she shifted her focus over to the service desk, the minotaur could not help her brows rising high upon her forehead in surprise. Although the desk itself was nothing special, atop it was a marbled statuette and stone cutting tools. There was a loud thud of other tools being dropped from the clerk behind the desk as they took note of their guests. With a kind and gentle smile upon his face, Vladimir began to approach the group’s host for the evening.

“Well, now, what have we ‘ere? Welcome, welcome! Been a time since I seen the likes of me fellow scaleless! What brings ye out this way?” greeted a jovial dwarven man as he set aside his statuette and crafting supplies. Wrinkles lined his face and his long beard was graying but well kept. Atop his head was a small green cap and he wore tan pants, a white shirt, and suspenders. Aridean’s ear flicked at the sound of boots stamping the wooden floor just behind the desk as the dwarf rose from his seat where he had been carving his blocks of marble.

A dwarf? Here in the swamplands? How strange… I thought for sure it would be another lizarian, but maybe the building being made of stone instead of hardened mud built into tree roots should have told me otherwise, Aridean pondered to herself as Vladimir reached the front desk and cleared his throat. Both the minotaur and half-elf moved to join the human at the desk as he began to arrange for their rooms.

“Good evening, sir. My associates and I have come to Miahnn’uli on business with the high shaman. She has already requested that we meet with her tomorrow though we would like to purchase the use of some of your rooms to rest for the evening as we have been on the road for some time,” Vladimir explained with his usual dignified and disciplined voice. Having heard the group’s purpose for their visit to the swamplands, the dwarf paused briefly. One calloused hand was brought up to stroke his well-kept beard, but his eyes shifted between his trio of guests. Upon spying Aridean, the dwarf had begun to survey the minotaur that stood in his front lobby. Aridean herself quickly began to feel her shoulders tense and her body heat up with frightened anxiousness.

“Business with the high shaman, eh? Ye wouldn’t happen ta be part o’ that rebellion goin’ on in the Empire, would ye? I know she been in talks with them rebels…” the dwarf began to ask. Combined with his curious stare, the words that the dwarf spoke only further exacerbated Aridean’s anxiety. It was at this point that the minotaur could feel her heart pounding in her ears. Time had seemed to slow to a near crawl, though Aridean was able to breath a sigh of relief as the dwarf waved his hand dismissively and continued, “Bah, none me business. Livin’ out ‘ere in the swamp with the lizardfolk, ain’t got nary no worry bout no rebellion nor Empire. So then, what’ll it be? A room fer the ladies and one for the man or one fer each of ya?”

“Two rooms will be fine, thanks,” Magdalene chimed in suddenly. Both Aridean and Vladimir turned to look at the young half-elf standing beside of the towering minotaur with surprise. Neither of the older members of the group elected to challenge Magdalene’s decision nor press the girl for why she had decided such a thing. After a mere few seconds of quiet contemplation, Vladimir returned his attention to the dwarf behind the desk. With a nod of his head and a wide smile across his face, the dwarf leaned over to a small pegboard hung on the wall his desk was affixed to. Two sets of room keys were pulled from the board and delivered to Vladimir.

“‘Ere ya go. Baths are in the back ‘n’ I’ll fix us up some supper in just a little bit then. Hopin’ ye like fish ‘n’ greens, is bout all I can get outta them reptiles. Name’s Nurik Goreskii, by the by, and tis a splendid meetin’ ya,” the dwarven clerk concluded as the room keys fell from his palm and into Vladimir’s. Aridean caught a glimpse of Nurik’s face as his hand returned to his side behind the counter; the dwarf wore a gentle and inviting smile upon his wrinkled features while giving off an upbeat and uplifting aura. As the dwarven man’s eyes shifted over to Aridean again, the friendly atmosphere he seemed to exude gradually faded along with his smile.

W-why is he looking at me like that? It’s like he expects me to say something or… I-I don’t know, but I-I don’t like it one bit, Aridean thought to herself as the muscles in her shoulders tensed up under Nurik’s gaze. Despite the dwarf standing at half her height, his expression filled the minotaur with a growing sense of unease that Aridean failed to comprehend herself. With a hand gently stroking his beard once more and a quirked brow upon his forehead, nothing about the look the dwarf gave Aridean seemed hostile or critical in any way. Even so, something about her host’s curious interest in her was starting to make the minotaur go weak in the knees.

“Very good. Thank you, my good sir. Now then, Ms. Gray, if you would be so kind as to pay the gentleman,” Vladimir concluded the transaction with a curt nod of his head and a gregarious smile of his own to Nurik. Having heard the human calling out to her, Aridean snapped out of her unsettled state and looked to Vladimir somewhat confused.

“W-what? O-oh, right. Sorry, Vlad, I forgot Mikali took your wallet,” replied Aridean, having only just realized why it was that Vladimir was unable to pay for the group’s lodgings. Still somewhat nervous by Nurik’s silent survey of her person, Aridean stepped up to the counter and stood next to Vladimir. As the minotaur began to count coins from her coin purse, her ear flicked at the sound of a low, inquisitive hum coming from just across the desk.

“Gray, eh? Wee bit o’ an odd name for a hooven,” Nurik commented aloud as Aridean lifted her eyes from the coin pile stacked on the tablespace. She felt her blood run cold from the otherwise mundane observation; this dwarf might have thought her name odd but had no reason to suspect her of anything. The minotaur only exhaled the breath that she had been holding in as Nurik waved one hand dismissing the thought he had and the other collected Aridean’s payment, “Eh, none me business. Don’t mind me none, just thinkin’ aloud to meself is all. Make yourselves at home, won’t ya?”

“Oh, t-thank you,” Aridean replied, still a bit nervous. With a satisfied smile upon his face, Nurik the dwarven innkeeper collected the coins Aridean had set aside for him. With a nod of his head, the dwarf turned from his guests. As their host went deposited the payment into a coin purse of his own, the copper pieces producing loud tinkling taps as they cascaded down upon other coins. Having stored the currency, Nurik returned to his stool and went back to his statuette work. Heaving a relieve sigh, Aridean turned on her hooves to face her companions.

“I am so glad they have something civilized out here in the swamp… I am so sick of mosquitos and the humidity out there,” Magdalene complained as she moved throughout the front room of the strangely located inn. Aridean and Vladimir, the latter snorting his amusement, watched as the young half-elf found herself a cushioned seat by a short table in the lobby and slumped down in it. Both of the older travelers moved to join the girl, the wooden floorboards creaking quietly beneath Vladimir’s boots and Aridean’s hooves clopping with each step.

Both Aridean and Vladimir took up seats around the table that Magdalene had claimed. Although the furniture gave quiet groans as the group settled in, the room was otherwise silent save for Nurik chipping away at his statuettes. From outside the walls of the inn, there were the calls of birds and croaks of frogs and toads hidden somewhere in the dark green of the swamp. While it was quiet, Aridean’s ear perked at the unmistakable sound of metal striking metal. Once again there must have been a sparring match taking place somewhere in Miahnn’uli. The brief respite the group had sought within the inn lasted only a matter of seconds before Magdalene began to grumble loudly.

“Well, I’ve had my fill of this quiet. I’m going to go take a bath. You coming, Ari?” Magdalene asked as she stood from her seat and stretched her arms. Aridean was somewhat astonished by the young girl’s invitation and she must not have hidden it very well upon her furred visage as Magdalene rolled her eyes. As the half-elf, a light blush to her freckled cheeks, began to walk around the table and toward the baths, she called to the companions she was leaving behind, “Whatever, I’ll just warm you a tub when I get out.”

Vladimir let loose a soft chuckle as Magdalene disappeared behind the door to the baths. Although Aridean did not get the impression that Magdalene had meant anything by her sudden dismissal of her proposal, the minotaur heaved tired sigh. Aridean slouched back into her seat, the frame again groaning as her muscled back fell against it and stretched her legs out. Her eyes were set staring at nothing in particular though aimed down toward her hooves. Only did her gaze lift from the ground beneath her as Vladimir shifted in his own seat and cleared his throat.

“Ms. Gray, are you alright?” Vladimir asked gently as he sat with his back erect and palms on his knees. Aridean deeply sighed before repositioning herself in her own chair.

“Just tired is all…” replied the minotaur. The response had been meant to reassure, though as the words left her mouth Aridean found that she was feeling physically exhausted. Vladimir’s head tilted slightly to one side and his brow rose over his one visible eye. Aridean could hear the human man hum something quietly to himself as his gaze seemed ever fixated upon her.

“Ms. Gray, might I ask where you learned such close quarters combat? Given your prowess wielding a battle axe, I found it strange you would set aside the Heaven’s Edge during your duel,” Vladimir pressed curiously. He had removed his palms from his knees and rested his elbows in their place, clasping his hands together loosely in front of his chin. Aridean did not feel that there was anything inherently suspicious about the question, if anything it had drawn out the minotaur’s own curiosity. Even if Vladimir were to understand that she had not been in control at the time, then why had Vici elected to discard her axe and fight with just fists against a lizarian with claws?

What am I supposed to say? ‘My guardian spirit took over and beat the hell out of that guy?’ Not even Vlad would believe something like that, right? Aridean mused quietly to herself as a growing uncertainty gnawed at her nerves. The minotaur let out a quiet groan before giving a meek shake of her head. Lifting her gaze to meet with Vladimir’s once again, Aridean offered a weak smile.

“I-it just… seemed the fair thing to do, I guess? A-after I broke his weapon and all, y-you know?” Aridean stuttered through her suggestion while remaining hopeful that Vladimir might believe such a weak ruse. Aridean managed to watch the human with anxiety welling up in her chest, though Vladimir merely shrugged and sighed. A brief wave of relief washed over Aridean as her companion averted his gaze from the minotaur and seemed to contemplate on other topics.

“Ms. Gray, might I ask a question?” Vladimir began whilst still directing his attention elsewhere in the room. Aridean leaned forward in her seat with elbows resting upon her knees as she focused on Vladimir. The human’s eye shifted toward the minotaur for but a second to receive the unspoken answer. Having taken a moment to compose himself, Vladimir drew in a deep breath before posing his question, “Might I ask if you had ever considered what you would have done had you never left your hometown, living alongside the Crusade Captain?”

W-what? Where’s this coming from? Aridean thought to herself, somewhat bewildered by the human’s question. As a stillness fell over the room, the anxious sensation in Aridean’s chest seemed to resurface. The minotaur could hear her own heartbeat thumping rhythmically in her chest, pumping warm blood that only seemed to grow hotter as the near total quiet lingered. Aridean’s ear flicked only as some toads croaked outside the walls of the inn and Nurik continued to chip away at his work. Between the two travelers, the silence had started to grow uncomfortable as Aridean found she could not muster the nerve to answer Vladimir’s unexpected question. Having finally picked up on the minotaur’s unease, the human man lowered his gaze toward the floor and gently shook his head.

“Forgive me; curiosity got the better of me. I suppose… I would just like to hear what you would have done differently, given the opportunity,” Vladimir apologized with a sobering tone in his voice. Still confused by the nobleman’s strange interest, Aridean quirked a brow as her ear flicked once more. Something about the man’s words sounded troubled and he clearly had not meant any offense in posing his inquiry. Calming her nerves through the following pause, Aridean drew in a deep breath before giving Vladimir her full attention. She paused for only a second to swallow the last of her flustered nerves before her lips began to move once more.

“I… I don’t know… The reason I left was… because I was to be arrested for a crime I hadn’t committed,” answered Aridean, her confession seeming to catch Vladimir by surprise. It was only at this moment that Aridean realized that the nobleman had not been told her reason for leaving Thellia and joining the rebellion in the first place. The minotaur caught Vladimir lifting clasped hands to his chin in contemplation the way he does; the look in his one visible eye showed keen interest in Aridean’s words. Before the discussion could be directed to her old regrets and wounds, Aridean took initiative, “Is… is there something on your mind, Vlad? About… the loved one you hurt?”

“Everyday, Ms. Gray…” Vladimir admitted, lowering his head so that his forehead rested upon his clasped together hands. A pang of guilt coursed through Aridean’s core; she had not intended to reverse the tables in the way she appeared to have with her question. Vladimir shook his head, gaze still averted from the minotaur, and continued to speak, “I had asked because I was curious what would have become of you and the Crusade Captain. Minotaurs are longer lived than humans, as you are aware.”

I know… and I… never really thought about what I’d do after Simon… Aridean thought to herself as a tightness formed in her throat. Simply thinking her adopted father’s name was enough to send a shiver down her spine. Simply repeating the name brought back the memory of the evening in Thellia, the roaring fires, the panicked shouting, and the dark red blood coating her battle axe. She found herself nearly hyperventilating as her own mind tricked her into thinking the building that she and her companions took refuge in was set ablaze with the pitch-black, imp-like gremlins crawling along the glass windows leading into a darkness blanketed swamp. Shaking her fears from her mind, the minotaur took several deep breaths to calm herself down again as Vladimir sat back up with a more serious look about himself.

“I asked because I was hoping to hear from someone who might have been prepared for… such an eventuality. I’ve been cursed; branded a mere plaything of that… dreaded abomination dwelling under the Cortonne cemetery. I truly fear that I might never die,” Vladimir solemnly confessed, hanging his head low with the long bangs covering his cursed eye draping the air in front of his face. Before anything else, the minotaur turned her head over her shoulder to spy Nurik; the dwarven innkeeper continued to chip away at his statuettes while humming a dwarven hymn that she had heard before as a waitress back in Thellia. Aridean’s eyes watched as one of Vladimir’s hands slowly reached upward and wrapped its way around his right arm, just below the purple ribbon the man kept tied around his coat sleeve. The minotaur had wondered why the man chose to wear the ribbon the way he had but could see that now was not the time as the silver-haired man seemed to mourn his own undeath.

I don’t know what it is that he did and… I will never forgive what he’s done… but… would I have been any different if I thought I could undo what I’ve done too? I… I still can’t bear to think that I’m the reason Simon’s… Aridean mused internally as she watched Vladimir run his fingers over the velvety ribbon tied around him. Her eyes had started to feel damp as she blinked several times in quick succession. The man sitting across from the minotaur heaved a deep, weary sigh before clearing his throat. From where Vladimir hung his head, Aridean could see the human’s jaw moving, but failed to pick up on anything that might have passed from his lips. Simultaneous sensations of sympathy, empathy, and even guilt surged through the minotaur’s core. Aridean swallowed the tightness forming in the back of her throat and bit her lip.

“Even after what you did… I-I’ll help you find a way,” Aridean suddenly announced after a brief pause. She could still feel the tears forming in her eyes despite trying her utmost to put on a strong face as Vladimir lifted his stunned gaze to meet with the minotaur. Despite the unease in her fuzzy expression, Aridean nodded her head to confirm her offer for assistance which was met with Vladimir’s jaw dropping in astonishment.

“Ms. Gray? Your kindness… forgive me, but it is a dagger in my forever beating heart,” replied the nobleman with a shake of his head. Aridean took a deep breath of her own as Vladimir simply began to shake his head. The minotaur felt a chill swirl throughout the room itself as the human hung his head low once more, “I have witnessed families grow and live and wither and die as though they were mere flowers. How could I ever hope to face them should I ever manage to gain passage into the afterlife?”

“I… I didn’t know…” Aridean answered uncertainly. Despite what the man before her had done to her precious friends, even still something in her pushed to want to help him. Even so, she had not anticipated the hopeless view of the situation she wished to help resolve. Her eyes fell from Vladimir to her hooves on the wooden floor as the man sighed again.

“Even still, I cannot fathom how I could hope to finally enter hell as I so rightly should just yet. Those I’ve wronged over the last one hundred years, and you as well… is there any means for me to make amends?” Vladimir further pressed his grim predicament.

“I… I don’t know,” Aridean hesitantly replied with a gentle shake of her head. Silence had fallen over the two as they sat there in the front room to the inn; again, the only sounds that could be heard in the otherwise still room were the croaking of toads and Nurik busy at work behind the desk. After a lengthy silence, Aridean’s gaze lifted from the floor as she noticed Vladimir sitting up straight with a more relaxed expression upon his face. The nobleman had forced a tired smile upon his partly covered face and smoothed out some wrinkles in his pants before taking a deep breath.

“I apologize for such a grim atmosphere when you are trying to rest… my mind has been a bit of a whirlwind since we departed Cortonne. You’ve every right to simply scorn and shun me, yet you stay your aggression and lend me your ear… You have my gratitude, Ms. Gray,” Vladimir said as he directed his full attention to the somewhat surprised minotaur. The man merely offered his usual gentle and tired smile as Aridean’s brow furrowed slightly.

Despite how gentle and kind he is on the outside… he’s holding all of that back and maybe even more. It’s so hard to imagine someone like him could be the cause of so much pain… I can’t forgive what he did, but even still he seems so genuinely full of regret… Aridean contemplated as her gaze again fell from the nobleman joining her in the front room of the inn. Simply speaking with the man concerning his existential nightmare had been enough to trigger her regrets and guilt to wash over her again. Once more, Aridean blinked to open her eyes to a burning inn, as though back in Thellia. The next blink had morphed the walls around her into smooth stone, lit solely by torches on the walls. With her heart pounding and breath caught in her throat, Aridean blinked again to return to the inn with Vladimir sitting just across from her at the small table. She meekly swallowed the anxiety that had been choking her.

“We’ll… we’ll figure something out, Vlad,” Aridean slowly, but with the most genuine voice she could manage, claimed. She could feel a single tear roll down her left cheek but managed a more determined expression. Vladimir’s smile slowly faded as he processed what the minotaur had declared. Although he failed to restore his smile, the stoic look upon the man’s scarred and partly covered face exuded both seriousness and genuine gratitude.

“You… you are truly sincere, Ms. Gray? You… you have my sincerest gratitude for such undeserved kindness,” Vladimir replied with a gentle bow of his head. Aridean felt some strange mixture of relief and anxiousness invade her mind; while she felt she had done the right thing, was she truly capable of helping this man with such a supernatural phenomenon? However, her thoughts were disrupted by the creak of a door from somewhere behind her. Aridean turned in her chair and Vladimir also directed his attention to the source of the noise. Magdalene appeared from the washroom, still drying her long, golden blonde hair and already dressed in the small flower shirt that Aridean had picked out for her. As the young half-elf returned to her fellow traveling companions, Vladimir’s gentle smile resurfaced, “Ah, Ms. Yorre, feeling better now?”

“I needed a warm bath to relieve the itch from some of these bug bites. Thank the lord that there was some civilization out here,” Magdalene answered, clearly grateful for having the luxury of a warm bath in the region. As she moved around the table and sat down in her chair, the young girl looked up to Aridean, “I drew a warm bath for you, Ari.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Oh, thank you, Maggie, I would like to wash out some of the mud caked into my fur,” Aridean replied as she looked down to her mud-stained hooves. With one final look toward Vladimir, Aridean slowly pushed herself up and out of her chair. As the minotaur moved through the front room of the inn, hooves clopping loudly against the creaking, old wooden floor, she stopped at the sound of a fist slamming against a smooth surface. Aridean, a bit startled, turned toward the source of the sound: Nurik at his desk. The dwarf offered the stunned minotaur a toothy grin.

“Don’t take too long now, lass! I’m gonna start cookin’ up some supper right now,” the dwarven innkeeper announced before turning from his customer and starting to walk around his desk. As Aridean’s racing heart settled again, she returned a meek smile to the dwarf as she nodded her head. Nurik walked through the front room and made his way to the kitchen as Aridean proceeded to the washroom for a bath. Her hand gripped the doorknob on the washroom door and gave it a gentle twist. As Aridean pushed the door open, the wood in the door creaked loudly.

Beyond the door, the inn’s washroom was nothing spectacular but Aridean still thought to herself how glad she was simply to have the opportunity to clean the mud from the day off. To her left was a countertop lined with sink basins just beneath several small, round mirrors hung upon the wall. Towel racks draped with linens stood at the far wall and multiple blinding screens had been set up between the washtubs. Steam from Magdalene’s bath still fogged over the glass of the mirrors and Aridean could see the warm steam radiating off the bath that the half-elven girl had prepared for the minotaur as it ascended toward the ceiling.

Heaving a relieved sigh, Aridean began to make her way over to the washtub. Simply standing in the steam-filled room allowed the minotaur to relax somewhat as she undid the harness carrying her battle axe on her back. The metal links clicked against the metal shaft to the Heaven’s Edge as Aridean set the massive weapon against the wall behind her tub. Next to come off was the minotaur’s pants, followed by her shirt, both of which were hung over the screen that stood before her washtub. Finally, Aridean began to shed her undergarments before dipping a finger into the steaming water.

With a thoughtful hum, the minotaur stuck her entire hand into the bath and closed her eyes. She then inhaled deeply and held her breath while concentrating. Within seconds, her furred hand was enveloped by a strong heat as the water began to warm from a quick and focused burst of fire magic. Steam rose up from the surface as Aridean retrieved her hand, wicking the water from the furred appendage with a smile drawn across her face. More than prepared to set her hoof in the warm water, Aridean stopped with a quiet, startled gasp at the sound of clicking coming from just behind her at the sink counter.

“Well, now, that was quite the showing we put on, wouldn’t you agree?” came the familiar, deep rumbling voice. Aridean felt her entire body seize up with fright at both the appearance of the beast and her current state of undress. Quick to cover her modesty and hide herself behind one of the blinds, the minotaur peaked around her cover to spy Vici. The monstrous form was seemingly admiring himself in one of the mirrors; without skin upon his muzzle to curl lips into a smile or frown, it was difficult to tell whether he seemed pleased or not with his inspection. Had Aridean not been so flustered by Vici’s sudden intrusion upon her privacy, the minotaur may have thought it odd that Vici was pretending to admire a reflection that did not appear in the mirror.

“V-Vici?! W-what are you—,” Aridean hastily stammered with embarrassment. She could feel her fuzzy cheeks flare up with her growing unease. Much to the minotaur’s great fear, the spirit rose from leaning over the counter and turned to her. There was nothing in his appearance that might have given Aridean any insight into what Vici may have been thinking. Aridean’s heart sank, however, as the clawed toes rose from the floor and began walking in her direction.

“Oh, calm down, my dear: I’ve lived with you and my master for your entire life. This isn’t the first I’ve seen of you undressed,” the spirit seemed to tease with his deep, rumbling voice. Vici steadily walked through the washroom over to the screen behind which Aridean hid her modesty. The minotaur’s heart sank even further in her chest and blood burned hot with embarrassment as one of Vici’s clawed hands grabbed the folding screen and the large monstrous form stepped around the obstacle. The glow within his empty eye sockets shifted up and down as he inspected the naked minotaur with a pleased hum, “My, my… look who’s all grown up! I can see why that other one took a liking to you!”

“W-what?!” Aridean stuttered in astonishment whilst hugging her chest tighter and pressing her furred thighs as close together as she could manage. Both minotaur and spirit turned their attention to the door of the washroom as a soft knocking began to ring out throughout the space.

“Ari? Are you okay in there?” Magdalene’s voice could be heard calling from beyond the door. Aridean, still flustered, could hear her heart pounding at the sound of her companion’s voice. She turned, eye’s wide with surprise, back to the spirit that shared the washroom with her as it snorted amusedly.

“You might want to respond, lest you start to appear mad. She cannot hear nor see me,” Vici explained to Aridean, his lipless teeth chattering as he spoke. Aridean, still trying to process why Vici would invade her privacy in the bath, held her breath and bit her lip. She was only stirred from her buzzing thoughts as the monstrous form standing before her made a noise similar to clearing one’s throat. As Aridean lifted her gaze up to meet with Vici’s, the spirit nodded his head toward the door just as the doorknob began to twist.

“O-oh! Y-yes! S-sorry, j-just… angry with myself… f-for… l-leaving my shampoo in the wagon,” Aridean quickly called back to the curious half-elf. She swallowed anxiously as the wooden door creaked open only slightly. Once again, Aridean held her breath to the point that her lungs burned for air, still worried by all that was going on.

“Okay… I guess?” Magdalene’s voice replied after a brief pause, her confusion clear in her tone. Without another word, the young girl gently shut the door to the washroom closed. With the door shut again, Aridean breathed a sigh of relief before Vici chuckled to himself. Swallowing her anxiety and still holding tight to her bare body, Aridean looked up to the towering spirit sharing the washroom with her with a mixture of nervousness and mild indignation. Vici, upon noticing the still distressed minotaur’s expression, merely nodded his head toward the washtub Aridean had been preparing to set hoof in.

Despite the spirit’s insistence, Aridean continued to stare at Vici for another moment while quietly moaning her unease. Once more, the spirit let out another short laugh before turning his back and moving around the blinding screen once more. Although Aridean could tell the intimidating form had not vanished as it normally did when walking away, she turned and began to climb into the warm bath. Hot, steaming water soaked her furred legs as she slid into the washtub, all the while keeping an eye toward the screen that was meant to hide her from anyone else in the room. The delight in a hot bath had been somewhat diminished by the intrusion of her unexpected, ethereal visitor. Vici, however, appeared to finally demonstrate some restraint as he remained out of sight as Aridean dipped her shoulders beneath the surface of the water and heaved a sigh.

“Vici… what happened back there?” Aridean asked softly so as not to draw more attention from her companions outside the washroom. The minotaur’s ears flicked at the sound of Vici’s claws clicking against the counter once more, joined by the calm shifting and quiet splashing of the water as she moved in the tub. Vici hummed to himself for a moment as Aridean began to scrub some soap into her fur.

“Simply put, I provided you the power to show those lizarians that you are not to be taken lightly,” answered the spirit’s voice from behind the folding screen.

“But… you—,” Aridean began to speak, dropping her arms back into the warm water that she was enveloped in.

“Took control of your limbs? Yes, I had,” Vici finished abruptly, almost sounding disinterested in the conversation. Aridean, however, was somewhat taken aback by the nonchalance in the hulking form’s response.

“H-how though?” Aridean probed, slipping deeper into her washtub. The warm water had surrounded her neck the steam rising from the surface kissed her fuzzy chin. She could finally feel her tensed muscles relax beneath the pleasant water though her eyes remained trained on the screen between her and Vici.

“Ever since my master fell, I have come to reside within your heart. Aiding you in battle is a simple matter… so long as you are willing,” Vici answered, his clawed fingers still clicking rhythmically against the countertop of the washroom. Confusion washed over Aridean as the minotaur slowly rinsed the suds from her mane.

‘Reside within my heart’? What does he mean by that? If he’s living within me… does that mean he can hear my thoughts? Aridean wondered to herself as the water rippled and splashed against the sides of the tub as she sat upright again. During the brief pause, Aridean had slowly started to fear that if Vici could actually hear her own thoughts that he might be privy to more private matters and that his intrusion upon her in the bath would now be the least of her worries. Anxiety had quickly replaced the confusion upon Aridean’s face and the heat of embarrassment, hotter than her bath water, began to course through her entire being.

“And before you ask: no, I cannot hear your thoughts. I may see your heart’s desires, but your mind is your own,” Vici offhandedly commented. His impeccable timing, however, simply left Aridean questioning the validity of his statement. Regardless, the minotaur took a moment to compose herself as she mentally reasoned there is nothing to be done about the spirit.

“W-well… back to what happened today: y-you taking over… it kind of… hurt and… it was kind of scary to watch my arms move without my command,” Aridean told the being behind the folding screen. She felt her ear flick in surprise as she heard a simple grunt coming from beyond her stall.

“You will grow accustomed to it,” replied Vici, sounding somewhat blunt about the matter. Aridean lifted her hands from the water and watched as her fingers curled into her palms and then stretched outwards several times. The minotaur heaved a worried sigh as she thought back to what it was she had been witness to earlier that day: her own limbs were set into motion by the will of another, leaving her but a mere spectator to her own actions.

“I… I don’t know if it’s something I’m willing to do again. A-and you said it left you exhausted, too. M-maybe we won’t do that again,” Aridean started to say as her hands slipped back into the soapy water. She could hear Vici let out a low and thoughtful hum from where he stood in the washroom.

“Is that so?” came the spirit’s voice. Both minotaur and guardian spirit had fallen silent, the only sounds echoing off the walls of the washroom being Vici’s clicking claws and Aridean’s rippling bath water splashing as the minotaur shifted in the tub. As Aridean scrubbed the last of the mud from her furred legs, Vici began to speak once more, “The mark on your back… I recall you mentioned the Ithlaum when that cursed human asked you about your minotaur tribe back in Cortonne. I don’t recall my master ever telling you about that minotaur tribe.”

“I learned about my tribe from Mikali,” Aridean answered honestly. She was somewhat curious by Vici’s sudden interest in white claw-mark fur pattern upon her back. Had Vici served Simon as he claimed, then surely he would know a little more about the Ithlaum since his master had led the eradication of the tribe. Perhaps Vici even knew what it was that brought Simon and Aridean together. The thought of having such a question answered made Aridean’s heart skip a beat, though the minotaur failed to form any words in order to prepare the question. She was only brought back to reality as Vici’s voice rang out once more.

“Ah… and what did this Mikali tell you about your heritage?” asked the spirit, his tone sounding somewhat more focused than it previously had.

“He… couldn’t tell me much,” Aridean again answered as truthfully as she could.

“I see…” Vici’s deep voice rumbled. Aridean felt a chill run down the length of her spine and through to the tip of her tail as the spirit went quiet, even the clicking of claws had ceased. After a moment to gather her thoughts, Aridean drew in a quick breath.

“W-what is—,” the minotaur began to ask. Her voice trailed off instantly, however, as a kocking could be heard resounding throughout the room. Aridean turned her head in the direction of the washroom door as the creak of the wood rang out again.

“Ari! Hurry up in there! Dinner’s ready,” came Magdalene’s voice from the direction of the door. Just as soon as the half-elven girl had made her announcement, she had left as well while closing the door behind her with a clapping sound. Aridean’s ear flicked and her attention was drawn back to the folding screen between her and Vici as the rhythmic click of claws on the countertop could be heard once more. A slight uneasiness settled in the back of Aridean’s mind as Vici began to let loose a low, frightening laughter.

“Another time, perhaps. It has been some time since I had some proper exercise like what we did earlier today; I still require time to restore myself,” Vici explained. Once the spirit had stopped talking, the sound of his clicking claws had stopped as well.

“Vici, w-wait! H-how is that—,” Aridean started to call out. However, the minotaur could almost sense that she was now alone in the washroom again. Without much thought on the matter, Aridean lifted herself from the washtub and pushed herself against the folding screen blocking her view of the rest of the washroom. Water dripped from the drenched fur that was now plastered to the minotaur’s body and pooled around her hooves. Peaking out from behind her cover, the minotaur found that the space had been fogged up somewhat by her bath and there was now a large backpack seated next to the door. However, what had vanished again was none other than Vici.

Already left, hasn’t he? Damn, I didn’t even think to ask what he meant by he’s living within my heart now… Vici… what are you? Aridean wondered to herself as she scanned the room again simultaneously hoping that the spirit was still around to answer her questions and not around to ogle her up again. Aridean felt a mixture of relief that she at least had some privacy now and also mild bewilderment with her guardian spirit’s odd nature. With a short sigh, the minotaur moved around the screen she had been pressed against and over to the towel rack near the back of the washroom.

Aridean collected a large, clean towel from the rack at the back of the washroom and went to work trying to dry her fur of the water that still clung to her. Linen rags were used to soak up as much moisture as they could hold before the minotaur reached for another. Aridean had limited herself to only three of the towels just in case someone else might need one, despite the unlikelihood that any other guests might arrive for the evening. Although her fur was still damp and a draft from somewhere in the room caused the minotaur to shudder as wind cut through her otherwise insulating fur, Aridean deposited her towels in a hamper near the towel rack. She then made her way back through the washroom over to the door where a large pack now sat propped up against the wall.

Was this… Maggie? Or maybe Vlad? Either way, I appreciate it; I can’t believe I forgot to bring an extra change of clothes with me… Aridean mentally noted as she opened the backpack. From the depths of the bag, the minotaur had retrieved a new set of mud-free clothes: a white shirt with purple around the wrists of the sleeves and a checkered purple pattern running diagonally up one side of the chest and back along with some clean jeans. For a moment, the minotaur stared at the unusual pattern on the shirt with mild confusion. She had never been one for fashion yet the design simply seemed odd to her. Nevertheless, Aridean shrugged and began to dress herself. Once clothed again, she collected both the pack her fresh set of clothes had arrived in and the harness carrying her battle axe before making for the door.

As the wooden door creaked open, a tantalizing smell wafted through the air and into the minotaur’s nostrils. Aridean could not help but lick her lips as she deeply inhaled the delectable scent. After a few seconds to simply enjoy the aroma, the minotaur began to walk through the room back to where her companions and even their host were seated. Taking a seat at the small table, Aridean found that both Vladimir and Magdalene had been served dinner by Nurik some sort of seafood dish with cooked herbs and vegetables.

“Ey, there ya be, lass. Ye took yer sweet time in there, ya did. Enjoy the baths that much, eh?” Nurik teased with a smile drawn across his face. The dwarf offered Aridean a plate with the same meal that both the human and half-elf had been served. Aridean was shocked by the sight of what rested upon her plate: despite the incredible scent it gave off, the food simply looked dry and unappetizing, there was plenty of black around the edges to the filleted fish and several pieces of the chopped vegetables appeared uncooked entirely.

“Y-yes, t-thank you,” Aridean replied while still accepting the dinner that her host offered her. She mentally considered that Nurik must not care much for presentation when it comes to his cooking. With luck, the food tasted as well as it smelled and not a poorly as it looked. Somewhat hesitant, Aridean collected the fork she had been supplied with her dinner and cut a small piece of fish. Slowly, the minotaur brought the first bite up to her lips and bit down upon it.

Nurik… you are a strange chef… Aridean thought to herself as she processed the flavor, or lack thereof, of her meal. Fortunately, the fish did not taste as bad as it looked yet did not have any particular appeal in regard to taste either. In the end, Aridean considered it fortunate that the group managed to find somewhere with edible food in the swamplands. She continued to dine on her dinner as Vladimir set his plate down upon the table the group had congregated around and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“If you don’t mind my asking, Mr. Goreskii, how did you come to live out here in the Wiir Swamplands?” Vladimir asked as he set down his napkin. Nurik looked up from his own plate with an expression that seemed to non-verbally convey to the team ‘I’m surprised you didn’t ask sooner’. The dwarven innkeeper took a moment to chew his food and swallow before leaning back in his chair.

“Oh, that? It ain’t that interestin’ a tale. Had been travelin’ with some companions a while ago. Well, they said ‘that way’ ‘n’ I said ‘this way’. Maybe I overreacted a wee bit, but I wound up wandering deeper in this ‘ere swamp by meself. Came upon the lizard folk ‘n’ never really thought ta leave. Mighta expected more from me, but that’s really all there is to it,” explained Nurik with a disinterested shrug of his shoulders. Modest astonishment had befallen the dwarf’s trio of guests; both minotaur and human shared a quizzical glance to one another whereas Magdalene’s gaze lingered on Nurik.

“You mean to say that you got lost in this swamp, with flowers that will try to eat minotaurs whole, and decided to stay in a village of barbarian lizarians?” the half-elf asked, clearly at least somewhat unbelieving in Nurik’s tale.

“Aye. Life be fickle like that, little lass, so I say ta just let it be what it be,” replied Nurik with a wave of his fork and nod of his head before returning to his dinner. The dwarf’s overly abundant nonchalance concerning his tale prompted both Aridean and Vladimir to stare on with looks of concern. Although neither spoke a word, their host’s tale had neglected to detail how he had come to run an inn in the middle of the lizarian village of Miahnn’uli. Aridean, after a moment to process Nurik’s story, simply returned to her dinner whilst still curious about what had transpired after the dwarven innkeeper arrived in the village.

“Merciful Lord… I thought that Vidor was easy going…” Magdalene whispered with a shake of her head and a worried look of her own toward Nurik. Both Vladimir and the group’s host had not appeared to hear the girl’s hushed comment, though Aridean felt an ache in her chest at the mere mention of her fallen friend.

Vidor… I… really wish he and Rana were here right now, Aridean mentally grieved with a dispirited sigh. Breathing deeply, the minotaur had managed to compose herself enough that her companions had not noticed the slouching in her chair. Even so, she still felt as if the weight of a boulder was crushing down upon her shoulders as she slowly and carefully lifted her fork to cut another bite of the fish.

For a while, the group had gone silent as they ate their meals. The only noises that reached anyone’s ears were that of forks hitting plates, the muffled croaks of toads outside the inn, and the clang of metal against metal somewhere even further beyond the walls of the building out in the darkness of the swamp. As time passed the almost rhythmic clang of utensil hitting plate slowed, to which Nurik leaned back in his seat with a near cleaned dish in his lap. The dwarf seemed relaxed as he stretched his short but muscled legs and cradled the back of his head in calloused hands.

“Well, I been needin’ a story; what say you tell me how a little half-elf, an average human, and a tall minotaur all banded together then?” asked Nurik, much to apparent surprise of his guests. Everyone had stopped their chewing of the last bite they had taken and simply turned toward their host who laughed to himself seeing the bewilderment upon his guests’ faces. With an audible gulp of her dinner, Magdalene took a deep breath as she set her plate down upon the table the group was huddled around.

“I’m just paying back a debt since Ari saved my life,” the half-elven girl answered while also leaning back in her chair similarly to Nurik sitting across from her. However, Magdalene did not demonstrate quite the same air of care-free as she crossed her arms over her chest. Nurik, seemingly intrigued by her answer, let loose a quiet hum as one hand was brought down to stroke his beard. Aridean’s ear flicked and she turned to see a somewhat solemn Magdalene looking toward the floor as she muttered under her breath, “Technically… three times now.”

“I, too, owe much to Ms. Gray for some undeserved kindness,” Vladimir chimed in only after having wiped his mouth clean with a napkin. Similarly, to Magdalene, Aridean caught the human man lower his gaze toward the floor as he forlornly uttered, “I owe her and so many others as well…”

Just the same as with Magdalene’s response, the only sound that came from Nurik was an interested, low hum. The dwarf’s eyes shifted between both the half-elf and human that sat in his inn’s front room, each appearing somewhat defeated by something. Apart from the swamp’s muffled noises outside, the only sound coming from within the room was a single huff from Magdalene. After a moment of silent contemplation, Nurik turned toward Aridean while still stroking his beard in thought, “An’ how bout you, lass?”

“O-oh… I’m here because… b-because…” Aridean stuttered, somewhat caught off guard despite having already been warned that her dwarven host was looking to hear how she had come to stay at the inn. However, the more the minotaur attempted to move her lips to form words, the more she froze up. The overbearing weight on her shoulders only seemed to grow heavier as she searched her mind for a reasonable answer to Nurik’s question.

W-what? I wanted to make them proud, right? Why can’t I just say that? Aridean quietly considered to herself. It was only as she had been asked why she was even here in the swamp that she had begun to ponder the question herself. Just the same as before, when Aridean suggested to Mikali that she be the one to meet with the lizarians in the Wiir Swamplands, it was as though something had taken over her. With an anxious swallow, the minotaur looked to her dwarven host. Nurik sat in his chair just to her side with brows raised and eyes focused in anticipation of her response.

“I… L-like you guessed: I’ve come to speak with the high shaman about… erm, well… but I…” Aridean started to speak, however, she faltered at the mention of carrying out tasks for the rebellion. Upon observing the minotaur’s unease, Nurik waved the hand that had been stroking his beard dismissively whilst shaking his head.

“Gone an’ gotten ya a bit muddled, eh? Pah, if it were what I think it were, it was none me business anyhoo,” Nurik interrupted before once more leaning back in his seat with hands locked behind his head. Aridean’s eye fell toward the ground around her hooves as she continued to quietly contemplate her purpose in the swamplands when the ones she sought to make proud would no longer be there for her return. Unable to settle on a suitable response, Aridean let out a quiet and uncertain moan before lifting her gaze up again.

“I-I’m sorry. I’m here because… I… I think I want to do what I think is right to… help people like me,” answered the minotaur somewhat uncertainly again. Aridean at least felt confident her response had not been a lie though she did get a sense that it was a desperate answer. Nevertheless, the minotaur caught Vladimir staring at her with his signature tired but sincere smile. However, she turned to Magdalene in surprise as the young girl let loose an amused snort.

“That’s all? You were almost plant food today because you thought it was right? Heh, thank the lord for sending us that one lizarian to help us out on our journey to help others,” Magdalene teased with a smirk on her face. The half-elf’s teasing seemed to garner attention from Nurik as the dwarven man let loose a gentle, low laugh as he sat up in his seat again.

“Oh, ho, you lot met the Deimn’la on your way into town, eh?” Nurik asked while leaning in toward the group of guests. Aridean, Magdalene, and Vladimir all shared a confused glance to one another as that same term had appeared for the second time today. It was the same thing that the high shaman had mentioned after she had stepped in to put a stop to Aridean’s duel earlier. Seeing that neither the minotaur nor the human seemed intent on asking Nurik for more information, Magdalene simply shook her head and huffed her mild annoyance at her companions’ silence.

“We met the what now?” Magdalene curiously asked Nurik.

“The Deimn’la; it mean ‘weakling’ in lizardspeak,” the dwarf answered with one hand on his knee and the other back to work stroking his long beard. Once again, Aridean and Magdalene exchanged a confused glance toward the other concerning their host’s rather unhelpful explanation. Before either the minotaur or half-elf could say anything else, Vladimir’s one eye lit up as he hummed aloud and shifted in his seat to lean in closer to the other three at the table.

“Ah, I believe I understand now,” Vladimir exclaimed with a small smile upon his partially covered face. Both Aridean and Magdalene turned toward the human while Nurik’s gaze simply shifted over to the noble.

“What is it, Vlad? Do you know what this… ‘daym-la’ is?” Aridean had started to ask, finding it difficult to simply pronounce the unfamiliar tongue she had been hearing over the day. Vladimir gave a short and courteous nod of his head, the hair covering his face bouncing but never revealing the crimson orb and scar beneath.

“I do indeed, Ms. Gray. When the high shaman mentioned that you carry the scent of the Deimn’la, she was referring to the lizarian warrior that assisted us with that Dragolia bloom back in the swamp,” Vladimir explained, much to apparent surprise of both Aridean and Magdalene. Before the minotaur to open her mouth, Magdalene had set her dinner down, the dish clinking loudly against the table.

“That guy? He froze that giant weed solid and shattered it with a single stomp! Why is he being called weak by the other lizarians?” Magdalene inquired with a quirked brow. Rather than respond, Vladimir put a hand to his chin and sat silently for a moment. Both Aridean and Magdalene sat waiting for the human to consider whatever it might be that gave him pause. Both the muffled croaks and clinking of Nurik’s fork on his plate were all that could be heard within the room. After an extended period of otherwise silence from Vladimir, Aridean noticed Magdalene slump forward in her seat with an impatient expression upon her lightly freckled face. The young girl loudly cleared her throat, stirring the nobleman from his thoughts.

“I do apologize, but I am afraid I would not know the answer to that question, Ms. Yorre. Given lizarian culture, it honestly could be any number of things that earned him such a label,” replied Vladimir after a gentle shake of his head. The nobleman heaved a sigh before returning to his thoughts with his attention turned elsewhere in the room. Magdalene grumbled, clearly annoyed that the man failed to provide anything more. Similarly, Aridean found herself somewhat disappointed Vladimir could not answer the inquiry given the individual in question that saved her and her companions earlier had been labeled as a weakling and outcast. With a low hum and ears drooping, Aridean’s gaze shifted over to the dwarf as he finished the last of his dinner.

“Mr. Goreskii,” called Aridean softly, her ears perking up slightly with hope. Although the dwarf’s eyes had met with her own, the group’s host had already lifted his mug of ale up to his lips and was in the middle of drinking. As the mug fell back down to the table the group was gathered at, the innkeeper let out a satisfied breath.

“Aye?” Nurik responded after catching his breath.

“You’ve lived in the swamplands for some time now; do you maybe know anything about the ‘weak’ lizarian?” Aridean asked curiously while shifting in her seat. Nurik blew hot air past his lips as he leaned back in his seat and clasped his hands over his slightly rounded stomach. Both Aridean and Magdalene found themselves leaning forward in anticipation of what it was their dwarven host was considering now. After a few seconds, Nurik simply shrugged and began to stroke his beard once more.

“Don’t know much meself, just that the scaled one is shunned from his own kind fer somethin’ o’ another. Like yer friend there said: it be one of them reptile beliefs, but I ain’t to familiar with the specifics meself. What I do know is this: he lives out in the swamp by his lonesome, rescuin’ travelers that get themselves stuck in it bad… such as that Dragolia bloom ye mentioned,” explained Nurik to the two girls that had given the dwarf their full attention. Vladimir, however, was only brought back from his own thoughts about halfway through Nurik’s explanation. Turning back toward the rest gathered at the table, Aridean’s curiosity grew ever deeper upon observing the astonished expression upon Vladimir’s face.

“I beg your pardon, Mr. Goreskii, but did I hear you right? This one goes out of his way to aid strangers?” Vladimir probed with a hint of disbelief in his voice. The surprise in his face had evolved into sheer shock as Nurik nodded his head before sitting up in his seat. Aridean and Magdalene were somewhat confused by the bewildered expression that painted their human companion’s visage now.

“Aye, he does. If I’m ta be honest with ya, he’s probably the only way I see any business in this ‘ere swamp,” Nurik started with a short laugh. The dwarf laughed at his own joke and slapped his knee with an audible clap. Vladimir’s hand finally fell from his chin as he repositioned himself in his chair. As the noble straightened his back, both Aridean and Magdalene turned to him, confused concerning the man’s odd question.

“Well, that would only further exacerbate this outcast’s estrangement from his kind,” Vladimir commented with an uneasy sigh. Aridean and Magdalene glanced to one another by the strange observation that the man had just made.

“Why do you say that? What’s wrong with him helping people?” asked Magdalene with furrowed brows upon her head. Vladimir let out a short sigh as he shook his head once more.

“Simply put, the lizarians are a very survival-of-the-fittest type of people. To demonstrate any sort of generosity or kindness the way this one seems to do would give him a reputation for appearing weak to his own kin,” Vladimir replied before taking a deep breath. With a serious look in his one visible eye, he stared directly toward Aridean, “And weakness of any kind is not tolerated among the lizarian people.”

“That’s so cruel…” Aridean said softly. She surmised that Vladimir must also be referring to the lizarian she and Magdalene had tried to help before the duel she had earlier. With a flick of her ear, the minotaur turned toward the dwarf seated to her side, “You wouldn’t happen to know his name, would you, Mr. Goreskii?”

“He ain’t got one,” Nurik replied bluntly with a shake of his head. Aridean’s ears again flicked in curiosity.

“I’m sorry? What do you mean by that?” asked Aridean, her brow quirked as she continued trying to process the simple response the dwarf had provided.

“Yer friend could probably explain it better, but the thing be that he’s weak. The weak don’t earn their names,” explained Nurik while pointing a finger toward Vladimir. With all eyes on him again, Vladimir put a hand to his chin once more. His gaze was shifted downward as he took a moment to carefully consider his explanation.

“So, he has already been cast out then? I see, that means he’s been branded as the Deimn’la, or a weakling, because he failed a most specific rite of passage to the lizarian people. While the exact details are a closely guarded secret to our scaled neighbors, the short version is that the rite tests young lizarians in a multitude of different aspects, the majority of which involve strength and physical ability. Once complete, the high shaman would bestow a fitting title upon the participants of the rite dependent upon their unique talents and traits,” Vladimir explained. As the nobleman concluded his explanation, he sighed deeply and shook his head before collecting another bite of his dinner from the plate in his lap and lifting it to his mouth.

“Knowing this place, the high shaman would only bestow these titles upon the survivors…” Magdalene snidely chimed in as she set down her cup of water.

“Oh, good, you didn’t need me to tell you that part,” Vladimir commented with a gentle laugh, much to both Aridean and Magdalene’s surprise. The two girls shared a quick glance to one another, their astonishment evident in their expressions. Both minotaur and half-elf returned their attention to the nobleman as he nonchalantly picked up another bite of his dinner on his fork and proceeded to bite down.

“Vlad? Was… was that a joke?” Magdalene asked with genuine curiosity. Vladimir, his mouth full now, merely covered his lips with a cloth napkin as he chewed. A muffled snort of amusement escaped the human, though what caught Magdalene’s attention was the short sigh that came from the group’s host.

“Knowin’ the reptiles? It weren’t, little lass,” Nurik answered bluntly in place of Vladimir. The dwarven innkeeper quickly finished the last bites of his fish before rising from his seat. His three guests watched as the short man collected his plate and started for the kitchen. Nurik stopped by the kitchen door and turned back to the three he had just shared his dinner with, “It be getting’ late and I be bettin’ ye’ all want to turn in soon. I be mannin’ the desk for just a wee bit longer before I hit the sack meself. Ye need anythin’, just gimme a holler!”

“Thank you, Mr. Goreskii,” Aridean replied courteously. She saw pleased smile spread across the dwarf’s face before he turned and entered the kitchen. Having been left to their own devices once more, the group paused briefly to continue dining upon the food that their host had prepared. After a moment of silence between the three, Aridean lifted her head up from her plate and looked to Vladimir.

“Oh, Vlad, another phrase I’ve heard from the lizarians: what does ‘nal-lock zee toss-knee’ mean?” Aridean asked curiously. Vladimir, however, turned to face the minotaur with a perplexed expression upon his partially covered face. Aridean watched, her ear flicking with surprise, as Vladimir’s lips moved yet nothing could be heard. The nobleman continued to silently word what it was he was thinking before realization dawned which shone in his one visible eye.

“I’m sorry, you must be referring to the phrase ‘nallahk zhi tashni.’ Do forgive me, but your pronunciation had me a tad bit confused. That phrase is simply their equivalent to something along the lines of ‘what an inconvenience’,” Vladimir began to explain. It had been a phrase both the high shaman and the Deimn’la had spoken to the group and had left Aridean somewhat curious to its meaning. Having learned the phrase’s translation, Aridean felt a slight frustration welling up within her over having been deemed a nuisance by the strangers that had spoken the phrase to her. The minotaur’s mild agitation only seemed to grow slightly more exacerbated by Vladimir’s next comment, “Though its actual translation is, erm… I’m afraid I do not have the heart to speak in polite company; it directly translates to something using far more profanities.”

“Of course, it does…” Magdalene replied, her own irritation with the phrase readily apparent. Both minotaur and half-elf heaved a frustrated sigh in unison, much to each of their own astonishment and Vladimir’s amusement as a small smirk worked its way across his lips. Together, the three travelers finished their meals before making for their respective guest rooms to rest for the evening.