-- Rowan --

I watched James and Violet walk around the corner as the three of us stood at the entrance to the inn. Bay and Aster looked a little lost on which way to go so I asked,

"So where are we going? The library?"

Bay shrugged, "Maybe, but I feel we should just follow the pull."

"That might be best. None of us are really good with other people." Aster comments;

I scoff, "Speak for yourself." I was actually pretty good with people, it was just hard with all the emotions around.

"I do, but come on. Where do you guys think we should check for this so-called evil?" Aster countered.

"Maybe, you can check the underground." Aster was a rogue so he might know of something.

Aster let out a snort before sarcastically, "Oh sure. I'll just hop over to the criminal underground, and check it out. Hello criminals. I'm new in town and need help. Oh, you're robbing me, and beating me to an inch of my life?" Aster nodded his head, "Yeah, that checks out."

I couldn't help but laugh it was such a ridiculous idea. How would he have any understanding of the criminal underground here?

Aster still slightly annoyed asked, "What about you? Want to talk to the animals in the petting zoo. Maybe the otters know?

"Don't doubt the wisdom of otters. It's the cats you can't believe."

"True they'll tell you anything to rule the world." Aster was laughing along with me. It was strange we never got along like this.

"Very true."

Aster caught himself and turned to me curious, "Ok, I know we're joking and all, but can you talk to animals?"

Does he really not know? I guess I never did explain it to him, "No, but I can get very basic emotions from them, hunger, anger, happy."

"Neat." He answered simply.

I saw this as an opportunity to ask something I've been wondering ever since he joined back up with us, "What about you? You're a rogue. Do you actually know the criminal underground?" I stopped and rephrased, "Not here but back in An Le Notre?"

"Not in the slightest," Aster said happily.

That actually took me aback. "Don't you steal things?"

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Aster's voice pitched up an octave, "Kinda, but it's all done through mission eggs."

"Eggs give criminal missions?" I wasn't the most straight-laced person but I couldn't believe the missions sanctioned by the city could possibly be criminal.

"More like sketchy and grey. I don't think any of the ones I've done have actually been illegal." Aster looked to be thinking hard before adding, "But they skirt the line."

I stared at Aster for a while before my curiosity got the better of me, "Ok, tell me how you skirted the law, with the mission."

"Knew you couldn't resist," Aster said smugly.

He didn't need to be so smug about it, "Just tell me."

"Had to break into a place to drop off a package. No stealing, just dropping off items."

"Pretty sure that's illegal." He was still breaking into the place.

"Only if you get caught."

"Sure. Well, what was in the boxes? That could be something illegal." I pointed out.

"Very true, but I stayed around to watch someone open them."

"And."

"The places they had me get into were like stores. And the boxes were just items they ordered."

Something didn't seem right about what he said, "But why break into the place in the first place?"

"My only guess is it's some kind of training mission. That or they like to feel mysterious with their packages."

Oh, so it was training missions. I wonder if he's ever done any real rogue missions. I bet that's when he has to do something challenging, to prove himself. I almost asked him but realized it would be rude. If he's just doing training missions he was probably still only ranked two or three.

"Rowan?" Aster called my name filled with confusion, and I could feel the fear and concern suddenly spike off of him.

"What?" I looked around looking for something that could possibly have caused such a sudden fear response. To the point, I had a hand on my sword.

"Where did bay go?"

That one little sentence made my heart stop. I took another look around, looking for her anywhere. As I did I could feel the worry build in not just Aster but myself. "It's been five minutes how did we lose her?" I practically yelled at Aster.

Aster takes a step back confused, and shocked, "I don't know. There's no way for someone to grab her without either of us knowing."

"Maybe if someone wasn't distracting me."

"Seriously?" Aster stared me down looking annoyed.

My emotions were running hot and I knew I was in the wrong, but I wasn't going to admit that, "We need to find her."

"Let me try her phone," Aster said pulling out his phone. It annoyed me I hadn't thought of it first, it was the simplest thing to do just call her.

Aster stood with his phone no word, I even saw him redial a couple times, but each time I hoped she would answer.

"Anything?"

Aster put his phone away, "No...Can you feel her or anything? Maybe a spike of emotion?"

I wished I could but there were too many people and she could have easily have gone out of my range by this point, "Too many people, how did we lose her so soon?"

"I don't know. She must have had an idea and just headed off. You know how she gets when she gets an idea."

"UuuuGHHH" I let out a long groan, before asking Aster, "You think she's following the flow?"

"Probably."

"Ok if we follow it then we'll find her."

"Can you feel the flow? I can see it but I see seven separate flows. We don't even know thats it for sure." Aster said annoyed.

"No, I can't feel the flows. What's the other option? You think she got grabbed?" I asked thinking of the worst-case scenario.

"Probably, not but with our luck, it's a possibility."

"Fuck...ok we will split up call me if you find her or in an hour if you don't we'll figure it out from there." It was a crap plan but it was something to pursue, and if I didn't hear from Aster I knew something was going on in this city.

"Are all the cities going to be after us?" I asked aloud.

Aster let out a long sigh, " At this point, we can only assume that. Seeing our track record at this point."

I could only nod, before turning to head out, "Good luck!" I heard Aster yell as I began to move through the city looking for our lost mage.