Once she was clean and presentable, Iris made her way back down to the common room. Seeing the group, she quickly made her way over and slipped into the free chair between Bree and Laken.

As Iris joined her companions, the atmosphere around the table grew even more lively. A half-elf waiter arrived, balancing a tray of frothy mugs in his hands. He set one down in front of each of them, the ale sloshing gently against the rim of the mugs. “Here you are,” he said, flashing them a friendly smile before disappearing back into the crowd.

Bree grinned at Iris, taking a sip of her ale. “Well, you certainly smell much better now,” she teased, raising her mug in a mock toast. “Welcome to the party!”

Iris laughed, accepting the friendly jab with good humor. “Thank you, Bree,” she replied, raising her own mug to return the toast.

The rest of the group chimed in, offering their own welcomes to Iris. She glanced over at Kaira who sat at the end of the table and gave the woman a small smile. The elf gave her a slight smirk in reply.

Gryff took a big swig of his mug before gesturing toward Iris. “Laken, Mocha, and I went ahead and handled the wagon while you got cleaned up. We took it over to the camp where Ser Meredith and her soldiers are staying.”

Iris nodded. “They’ll guard it?” she asked.

The rugged telv shrugged. “They will. That said, because they are stolen goods, we went through it all. Items with clear ownership were set aside, the rest will be ours by right. Ser Meredith will ensure it returns to Brightburn safely for us so that we have an empty wagon tomorrow.”

“We’ll be able to split it quite well even six ways,” Laken added, an amused look on his face.

“Six?” Bree repeated. “Who else are we splitting it… oh.”

The [Ranger] smiled. “Yup. It was difficult for her to get the point across, but Mocha is quite adamant that she receives a cut,” he said with a laugh. “I couldn’t deny that beautiful horse her fair share.”

Kaira chuckled. “Good.”

“We also took her back to the stables. Her armor is safely locked away there,” he added.

“Thank you, Laken,” Iris replied. “I’m sure Mocha appreciates your kindness. She enjoys feeling like a part of the group. She understandably gets frustrated that others can’t understand her.”

“With magic, maybe one day we will,” Laken added sagely.

Gryff cleared his throat, remembering something else he needed to share. “Oh, and Ser Meredith asked me to pass along her regrets for missing you today, Iris. She had hoped to catch up with you and discuss the Marauder Prince, however, she was pleasantly surprised that you undertook a quest for one of the villagers.”

Iris nodded, feeling a bit guilty that she had missed the woman. “I… forgot that she had mentioned coming by today.”

Gryff continued, “She did add that she’ll be bringing by the information regarding their own raids against the bandits tomorrow morning. She thinks that combined with what we gathered, it may prove useful.”

The group exchanged glances, Iris felt her own anticipation growing as she considered the possibility of getting closer to their ultimate goal.

Sensing a lull in the conversation, Laken set his mug down and leaned forward onto his elbows. “So, Iris. Your quest. You mentioned a magical fox?” he asked with eyes that seemed to light up in the warm glow of the hearth’s fire that filled the inn’s dining area.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Iris chuckled, but Gryff stopped her before she could launch into her story. “Wait! Food’s here. Tell us while we eat.”

The waiter returned with heaping plates filled with roasted vegetables and small whole roasted poultry that looked like quail. The rustic wooden tables and chairs creaked under their weight as the group eagerly dove into the mouth-watering food arrayed in front of them with gusto.

As the conversation flowed, Iris leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with excitement as she described her encounter with the large kitsune in vivid detail. “It all began when I was asked to help a farmer whose chickens were being stolen by a mischievous fox. Little did I know that it would lead me to an encounter with a creature straight out of legend.”

She explained that, after accepting the farmer's request, she had ventured deep into the forest. She set the scene, describing how the sun filtered through the trees, casting dappled patterns on the forest floor as Iris carefully searched for any sign of the fox. The rustle of leaves and the calls of birds filled the air, creating an atmosphere of tranquility that contrasted sharply with the urgency of her quest.

“That’s when I saw a woman,” Iris said.

“A woman?” Gryff asked, his brow raised.

Iris smiled, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she recounted her thrilling encounter with the kitsune. “You wouldn't believe it, guys,” she exclaimed, her hands moving animatedly as she spoke. “At first, I was chasing this mysterious woman through the dense forest. She was unbelievably quick and agile, and even with all of my magic she was always staying just out of reach. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I dashed after her, dodging branches and leaping over fallen logs.”

Her hands danced through the air, illustrating her words. “The forest seemed to come alive around us, the wind howling through the branches, leaves swirling in our wake. At times, it felt like we were locked in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, with each of us trying to outwit the other.”

“What happened next,” Laken prodded, the man enraptured by the story.

“I caught up with her in a clearing. The woman sat on a rock with red hair and three tails, and she looked eerily like me! Before I could even react, she vanished into thin air, leaving me completely stunned. And that's when I saw the fox and realized I was dealing with a kitsune!”

Bree tilted her head and asked Iris what a kitsune was, which led to Iris giving an aside, describing the mythical creature that she knew of from her world.

When she returned to the story, Iris recounted how the creature's tricks had left her frustrated and angry.

As Iris described her pursuit of the kitsune, she painted a vivid picture of the chase. She spoke of how she had used her spells and abilities to try and trap the fox, but it always managed to escape.

Laken chuckled, thoroughly enjoying the story. “Sounds like quite the adventure! I'd have loved to see you trying to outwit a magical fox. I bet it was quite the spectacle.”

Bree nodded in agreement. “It must have been an incredible experience.”

Iris laughed, pointing a fork at the woman with something similar to asparagus hanging off it. “And to think, all of this started because the kitsune believed she was engaged in a prank war with a local farmer!"

As Iris continued her tale, she recounted how she had eventually managed to confront the kitsune in a clearing. She described the confusing conversation that followed, with the kitsune communicating through barks and yips.

“Eventually, we came to an agreement,” Iris said, her eyes shining with a mixture of pride and relief. “I convinced her to stop bothering the farmer, and in exchange, I promised not to pursue her any further. The kitsune agreed, and her form shimmered and shifted back into that of a fox, which then disappeared into the forest.”

Iris couldn't help but smile as she recalled the kitsune's final moments before vanishing into the undergrowth. “I retrieved my sword, which she had left nearby, and made my way back to the farmer's home.”

Laken shook his head. “I really wish I could have met her.”

As Iris finished her tale, the group shared a moment of quiet reflection, each of them lost in their own thoughts about the changes the Flash had made to Eona and all of the new mysterious and magical wonders it had created.

A telv man in armor, one of the soldiers that were with Ser Meredith, entered and made his way to the bar.

Iris went to take another bite of food but then she hesitated, the fork halfway into her mouth, and frowned.

Really? They sure enjoyed the story…

She felt mana crackle inside of her as irritation built. Kaira’s eyes widened but Iris shook her head and focused on the three.

Gryff was the first to notice her look. “Iris?” he asked hesitantly. “Are you alright?”

The other two looked up and Iris took a deep breath. “No. I've been thinking,” she started slowly. “I think there's been a bit of a misunderstanding.”