Nights in Raven used to be quiet, in an eery way, now it's the same thing as every other city. Not bad in my opinion, I get to enjoy some drinks, and people know better than to mess with strangers.

Pretty run down tavern, this one, but it's good to taste some Scorpion's Tail again. No one else but us can appreciate this bitter scorching drink. It's heavily concentrated, and for the pussies of the guild it's poison pretty much.

To each their own, I guess.

I fill another small glass and down it in one gulp.

Damn, I love it.

- Been a while since I've seen a local, you've come to join the guild?

I stare at the old man behind the counter. He's polishing some bottles of liquor you could only find around here.

- Nah, here to solve some issues.

He takes out my glass and brings a whole fricking bottle of ST. I smile and play with it in my hands. Know what? I like this old man.

- It's near closing time, there's only you and that girl hiding behind the door. You know her?

I turn back to stare at the doors. I knew she was there the whole time, It's just the habit of checking twice.

- I do.

- Come here, lass. It's getting cold outside.

Cold here is bearable, I find it kinda hot actually, but I don't say anything. Don't dislike her, maybe 'cause she's Ethan's kid.

- Want something to drink? Don't worry, it's on the house.

- Thanks... I don’t drink.

- Have some water then, people come here to drink something, whatever it is.

- Alright...

The man puts some water in a glass and pushes it towards her. We exchange looks for a moment, he knows I don’t mind her overhearing.

- You have the Gift of the Watcher, I see. Quite lucky.

I chug down the liquid and savor it as it burns my insides. I feel like crying but I can’t get enough of this bottled fire.

I glance at the old man, he’s drinking some other thing, don’t remember the name since I don’t fancy it, but it’s sweeter than ST, though it also carries the tempting bitterness from the alcohol right at the spiky end. Flows easily, not a bad choice.

- Your right eye... Gift of the Seer, not bad.

- Yeah... Not as useful as in the days of old, but I still see bits of the future... That’s not really what I wanted to talk about.

- Oh? Then what is it you wanna talk?

- I figured you came back after a long time... Things changed, and Ravenborns along with them. We don’t need to kill, steal and betray anymore, we can use other things to get the numbers up. Now we’re seeing a wider range of gifts, and most of them aren’t golden.

I stare at him with suspicion, don’t get anything of what he’s sayin'.

- You tellin’ me there are other colors?

- You’re young, you don’t know much of the past since we don’t talk about it frequently... The gift aids in our survival, it changes according to our needs, and currently, we’re seeing fewer struggles for our lives, we’re safe. The golden color is bestiality, it’s mighty but unstable, and the way it powers up... It doesn’t fit in with the current state of the world.

- So the golden color is dying... Why does it matter?

The old man takes the last sip of his drink before putting it down and cleaning the table.

- It’s dying but it’s still there, like you and me. I’m an old fool that’s tired of living, all I want is to drink in peace and die alone. But you youngsters think nothing’s changed, that life is still a desperate fight for survival... People adapt over time, but scars don’t heal. They will always see us as a bunch of cruel bastards that kill without batting an eye. It’s easy to go along with whatever you’ve been doing before our worlds mingled, hard is swimming against the current.

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

I quickly drain the bottle and now that I think of it, it wasn’t a good idea to get wasted on the night before going inside the gate, but I’m listening to this guy and I can only move my head matching his words, like he’s singing me some lullaby I’ve not heard in the past and that I enjoy a bit ‘cause I didn’t have that in my childhood.

And a piece of me is in that lullaby, but I’m probably drunk and talking nonsense.

- And why you tellin’ me this?

The man stays silent for a while, I look at my side, I forgot Sarah was there. Didn’t know why I've let her be, but she’s just a kid, can’t do any harm.

- Try not to blow it with the guild. Sure, they can’t do much against us, but they can help us a lot, and it’s not just your life at stake here. There’s many of us working hard to earn their trust, don’t ruin our efforts.

Fuck... I’m about to pass out...

- Heheheheh... I’m gonna sleep... For... A... Bit...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I watch Runeville talking to this mister, or rather listening to him, he’s drinking that thing right out of the bottle, I can’t understand why people enjoy shortening their lives like this... Well, at least dad drinks moderately.

I wasn’t sure about who was that person until father told me he was Randeville. Haha, that name is really fitting for his character, but Randeville from the book was a mystery. He didn’t talk much and was usually off doing his own thing. The time he opened his mouth to say something was to convey that not one of the others were his friends, and to bother him not.

Kayl was the most likeable character of the group, and he was a good leader, but when things didn’t turn out as expected, and that happened many times, Randeville would always appear out of nowhere with some kind of master plan and save everyone from the jaws of death, only to disappear again without saying anything.

Throughout the book, I thought he was just a character father made to guarantee the main group wouldn’t die, his trump card, so to speak, but he said that Randeville was portrayed exactly as he appeared in front of him, and he didn’t hide any of his moments, especially the tactics he employed and his conflictual relationship with the other members of the team.

One of the few passages where Randeville talks to Entoan, the name father had given himself, and I feel humored that he portrayed Entoan as quite funny and strong-willed, although weak and with little contributions under his belt, he says “you’re a good man, Entoan, I don’t dislike you. That’s why you should get away from me”.

What was the actual Runeville doing on times he went like smoke? I don’t know, father has no idea either, but I don’t think he’s a bad man. Father says he’s not the same after clearing the portal, and I find it impressive that he managed it, but I don’t know how it was possible, because he never said anything... I might look into the guild’s archives later.

Bringing up the past... It should be painful.

Runeville is now sound asleep. His face is a bit girlish, I giggle to myself, he looks much better like that, sleeping I mean, not passed out. Technically... He is passed out, but I think it counts... Maybe.

- It’s pretty late, I’m closing the tavern now. Want some help carrying him out?

I pick up Runeville, he’s surprisingly light, but I don’t really know. I’ve gained some muscles back in the Academy, so I should be able to lift him easily. Regardless, I welcome the help, it is always appreciated.

- Yup!

The mister finishes cleaning the table and helps me lift him, but trips and falls.

I catch him before he hurts himself.

- Are you alright?

He seems disoriented, or frightened, I’m not sure, but his face is stiff as a rock.

- Umm... Yes, I just had a vision... Didn’t have one in a long time...

I help the man onto a chair.

Damn it I’m so stupid... I forgot about Runeville.

I check on Runeville hastily, thankfully he’s not bruised anywhere, oh my God it scares me that he could’ve hit his head and have a major problem. I’m so exasperated, my heart is beating so fast...

- Girl... Be careful around this man. I was not going to tell you this, not something we tell strangers... But this man is not someone fit for living with humans.

- Huh? What do you mean?

- Girl... Do you know why I have this symbol on my right eye?

- Symbol? Isn’t that because you did a lot of bad in your life?

- Hehe, that’s not wrong in my case, cough cough, but that’s not it... A symbol means that I’ve made a sacrifice to further enhance my gift... Mine is the tear, the betrayal of someone... Someone who had infinite trust in me... And that I also held dear.

He grabs his chest, I can see his heart aches behind that robust body whittled down by time. So even Ravenborns experience regret... I feel like I’ve misjudged them all this time...

- But then, what does Runeville’s symbol mean?

- Runeville? Is his name Runeville? I remember this kid... He was the one who finished that portal... Now I know why he’s got the cross slits...

The man makes an ugly face.

- Cross slits? So what did he do?

He looks at me, I don’t understand that look on his eyes, but when he stares at Runeville... I don’t know, I’ve got a bad feeling just thinking about what’s going on inside his head right now.

- I’m sorry, I’ve spoken too much. When we get old... We forget that some things... Some things are better left unspoken... Forget what I’ve said, just don’t get too close with him. Here, I’ll help you out.

I walk with Runeville back to the inn, the lights of the houses are almost all out. I didn’t push that mister for answers, I can’t force him to speak if he doesn’t want to, but I also can’t forget what was said.

I watch over Runeville, he looks so frail in this moonlit night, it doesn’t strike me that he could bring me any harm, and I want to believe in that feeling, but at the same time, I worry... That father might be wrong and that bringing him with us could be a bad choice.

I don’t know, thankfully I’m not the only one that gets to decide.

We’ll know it by tomorrow, for now, we should go back to sleep.