Solaris was just as she remembered it.

Pretty, but plain. Soft, grassy fields bordering a deep valley forest. A river cut through town, dividing the center, before disappearing amongst shadowed, thick foliage. Sia tugged her traveling cloak on as they stepped out of their carriage, shifting her hood into place as Oren shot her a questioning look. She shrugged, thankful he wasn't the sort of person to pry. And--as expected--Oren let it drop.

The moment their things had been stowed in the inn, Gideon directed them to the home of their long-term client. An elderly woman greeted them at the door, her carefully twisted braid reminding Sia of her own village. She introduced herself as the chief elder, before ushering them inside. Sia caught Oren cutting back a grimace as the grandmother sat them in patchwork chairs and settled a plate of cookies before them. She used her hood to hide her amusement as he cleared his throat and declined the treat. In the end, only Ilias couldn't turn her down.

She repeated what Gideon had told them--every year, as summer faded into fall, the valley was overrun by lizardmen. Humanoid-like monsters with the scales and frilled membranes of their animalistic counterparts, the lizardman typically lived exclusively in the remote parts closer to the river's mouth. As summer rains flooded the riverbanks, however, the lizardmen would follow the influx of fish into human territories. Given they were aggressive monsters, conflicts were inevitable.

That was where Starry Rose came in. The guild was to thin the herd, making them less confident in their attacks, and making it less likely that the next breeding season would leave the villagers overwhelmed. It was a job that had belonged exclusively to them for over a decade.

"This bites," Oren complained as they were leaving. Gideon shot him a reproachful look, but her friend continued with a mocking roll of his eyes. "Any guild team could take this job. Why us? Aren't we supposed to be training? Cleaning up here won't be that much of a challenge. There's just a lot of them, right?"

Sia bit back a murmur of agreement. Oren wasn't wrong--this did seem like it would simply be a tedious job. Lizardmen weren't known for their intelligence or skill. The only reason they were almost given a B-Rank by the adventurers coalition was because of their tendency to hunt in packs.

Gideon waited until they were out of ear-shot of the elder's house before voicing an agreement. It didn't surprise her--he always was one of the more courteous members of the guild. With the exclusion of perhaps herself, the rest of the party had...reputations. Oren rarely had a kind word for those he didn't like, Ilias was terrified of strangers and attention, tending to them at all costs, and then there was Cross. It wasn't that the demon was a bad guy. He just lacked that part of the brain that told someone to stop when enough was enough.

"There are numerous lizardmen," Gideon continued. He crossed his arms, poising a hand at his cheek as he spoke. "But, it's not the simple job you're making it out to be, Oren. I think you were too busy gagging at the cookies Ilias was joking down--" Ilias shuddered, clutching a hand to his throat. "--but, Esmera told us there had been more accidents this year. The lizardmen have been more aggressive and greater in numbers. Learning to work past that is a good skill."

He paused, fingers drumming against his face. "She said there was another team here, too, though she also added that they breezed through without taking the time to introduce themselves..."

"Wait, so we're gonna have to share the reward?" Oren demanded, exasperated. His expression clearly stated he was thinking of their last job.

Sia sighed. At this rate, Oren was going to quit accepting Gideon's suggestions for work. He had made no secret about his hate for receiving anything less than the proper reward for his effort.

"No, we'll get what we were promised," Gideon replied, seemingly unfazed by Oren's temper. "We have a contract--they can't get out of that. They simply thought the job was too big for one team. Esmera thought that extending a second offer would mean it got done quicker and with fewer casualties."

"I don't see a problem, then," Sia interjected, hoping Oren would let it drop.

Oren groaned, but didn't argue as Cross chimed in with a similar agreement. "The more the merrier!"

Ilias mumbled a prayer under his breath. Sia's smile faltered as he gripped one of his talismans, obviously holding similar feelings to Oren about the whole issue.

"Are we going straight to work?" she asked, eager to distract the others.

Gideon tilted his head back to study the sun, before nodding.

"We should go now in order to maximize the hours of daylight we have left. The last sighting wasn't far from town, so it shouldn't take long..." he trailed off, brow furrowing as he fell to silence.

Oren twisted around, obviously catching onto whatever had caused Gideon to stop talking. Sia followed his line-of-sight, confused at first as all she saw was a handful of storefronts, villagers, and a traveling bard. The second she spotted them, however, she batted his arm. Shock ran the length of her spine.

Was that Aaramis?

Tall and broad shouldered, the earth djinn celebrity was exactly as the papers portrayed him. He towered over a foot over his shortest companion with green, scar-riddled skin. Some had grown white with age, while others still had an angry, red edge. Arms crossed, he stared at the bard opposite of them with a look of such abject indifference that Sia wasn't even sure he was paying attention.

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Next to him, a petite blonde woman laughed and clapped her hands. The performer dipped into a theatrical bow, waving his hat around and grinning as a few coins were tossed his way. The woman dug into her coin-purse, tossing gold into the collection. If it wasn't for the fact that her clothing looked as if she picked it out of an adventurers' handbook, she might have assumed they were traveling separately. As it was, she recalled vague reports that in recent months, the celebrity mage had been seen working with three companions matching her description, as well as that of another tall, dark-haired man lingering near-by. Where was the other?

The third adventurer scrunched his nose as he smiled at something the woman said, before he paused. His head tilted as if he were listening to something just out of hearing. Then, he turned, black eyes scanning over the street until they landed on the Roses. He nudged Aaramis, which got the woman's attention as well. And--as one--the three of them looked towards Sia and the others.

She swallowed thickly. "That's..."

"It is."

"They're the...?"

"It seems so."

"But that's...!"

Gideon, unfazed, merely lifted the guild marker he wore around his neck, letting the metal catch the sunlight and glitter like a beacon. Sia resisted the urge to reach for where her own was embedded into her earrings.

"It would be nice," Gideon murmured. "If someone could form a full sentence sometime this century. Yes, it's Aaramis and his team. I doubt there's anything else of interest going on in Solaris, so yes, they're here for the same job as us. Which means we have to interact with them. Any more questions?"

Sia shook her head.

"Let's be civil, shall we?" he continued as the other group started towards them. "We'll be working together for nearly a week--starting off on the wrong foot will only make things harder for everyone."

"I don't think we'll be the problem..." Sia began, her mind flitting to the papers. Aaramis was infamous for his attitude. Then there was Cross, a thought that filled her with an unsettling realization. "Where's Cross?"

Oren glanced around, then groaned. "Someone should put a leash on that guy."

Sia spun, scanning the streets for what Oren had seen. She located him just in time to see the familiar idiot performing an exaggerated bow to a fourth stranger. The man's eye-catching, silver hair had no doubt drawn Cross' attention while they were distracted. That, or the similar, gray-silver color of his eyes. Was he the missing member?

Cross smirked--and while still bowed--offered the stranger his hand. He looked about as perturbed as she was, cocking his head as he studied Cross. To his credit, he didn't immediately flee from the demon—rather, he stuffed his hands deep into the pockets of his long coat and just continued staring Cross down, as though that would encourage the sorcerer to possibly explain himself. Or leave. Sia couldn't read the man's expression, but it didn't appear particularly inviting.

Cross opened his mouth, but Sia lost whatever might have been said between them as Aaramis' group arrived. His eyes skimmed their team with clear distaste.

"You're the other party, then?"

Gideon offered a polite smile in return. She wasn't surprised--he had a certain knack for easily ignoring rude behavior. "We are. We're from Starry Rose." The djinn snorted at the name of their guild, but Gideon didn't pause in his introduction. Perhaps he was too used to the reaction. "I'm Gideon, and this is Ilias."

He gestured to where the red-head stood a step behind him, nervous eyes darting between the new arrivals.

Oren rolled his eyes. "Oren."

"Sia."

Aaramis' distaste didn't fade in the least as names were offered. His eyes followed each word, however, critical despite his dismissive posture.

"We're no--"

"Rae," their feminine companion introduced. She pushed past Aaramis, a bright smile on her lips. "The ass is Aaramis, if you didn't already know. The nicer one, Inan. No guild."

"No guild," Gideon repeated. There was no judgment in his voice. Something the team didn't seem to anticipate, as Rae's smile only grew in response. "It's good to meet you. I assume you've already been briefed on the job's requirements?"

"We have," Aaramis agreed.

Rae sighed, breaking the silence that followed the djinn's short words. She nudged him with her elbow.

"You could be more expressive, you know." Her eyes flicked to Gideon. "He means to say, if you're talking of the split work, then yes, we have. We also already handled a few nests. "

Inan stepped up between Aaramis and Rae.

"We'd heard another party had been called in for this job, but our fearless leader here--" He winked at Aaramis, before seeming to ignore the scornful sneer he received in response. "--didn't think it important to wait or make nice. Rae and I, on the other hand, are very much looking forward to your assistance."

"That's right. With your reputation, we figured this'll be a fun experience," Rae agreed. Her attention flitted over them once again, something unreadable flashing over her face for the barest second. "Oh! That gives me an idea."

Their fourth member rejoined them at that moment, Cross trotting behind him. Much to her surprise, the man didn't look ready to hit something, despite the demon's attention. Still, whether it was Cross or his general attitude, he looked about as pleased to be there as Oren. Who, at that moment, shifted closer to Sia's shoulder.

"Cross hasn't sent him running yet," he mused quietly.

"--I find it is especially essential if you're a busy person. Fun little breaks make it easier to work harder," she could hear Cross say, his tail flicking happily behind him. "Especially if someone else is there, helping you relax."

Sia snorted, before politely covering her mouth with her hand. It did nothing to smother her amusement.

"Perhaps he's used to...strong personalities," she whispered back. Aaramis certainly seemed like he qualified.

The man eyed Cross over his shoulder.

"I do take breaks," he said, not unkindly, though his expression wasn't any more amiable than it had been before. "Not the kind you're suggesting, though."

Catching the tail end of their conversation, Inan added, "He basically meditates while he's swimming. Goes into a trance. It's the only time I've seen him relax."

Rae clapped her hands, interrupting the conversation. "My idea! We should split into teams."

Inan smiled as unease crept down Sia's spine. They wanted them to work together? She almost reached for Oren's arm out of reflex. Maybe they could split off from the others before a disaster happened.

"I'm more than fine with splitting into teams and mixing things up," Inan was saying. His eyes seemed to meet Sia's for a moment as he swept his gaze over the group, before his attention landed on her companion. "Oren, was it?"

Oren wide-eyed as though he'd expected to be passed over completely.

"How do you feel about coming with me and Rae?"

"I'd rather--"

"It's them or Aaramis," Gideon interrupted quietly. It seemed he had no problem with the idea of splitting into teams. From the way Ilias practically clung to his back, she was willing to hedge a bet they'd already had a quiet discussion. "And I have it on good authority that Ilias will be going with him or this Atlas fellow if Cross hasn't already staked his claim. Your choice, Oren."

Atlas must have been the fourth member. Gideon's hearing was excellent, she guessed he had likely caught more of their conversation than Sia had.

"Fuck," Oren muttered.

Cross' face lit up as he seemed to figure out what was going on. He jolted forward, clearly aiming for Atlas' wrist. "I claim the pretty boy!"

Atlas dodged the demon, keeping his hands firmly planted in his pockets as he turned on a heel and started out of the village. Seemingly undeterred, Cross darted after him. "Wait up!"

Aaramis rubbed his forehead as he shot the departing duo a scornful expression. Without a word, he then abruptly turned and started in the opposite direction--clearly planning on leaving the village from a different gate.

"That's his way of agreeing," Rae volunteered.

Sure. That's what it was.

Sia hesitated, glancing at the others. Atlas was out--she had no intention of being stuck with Cross when he was attempting to woo someone--and Oren was likely in the process of being kidnapped by Inan. Where did that leave her? With grumpy?

Oren reached for her arm, her earlier idea lingering in his expression. "Le--"

"C'mon, Oren, Rae," Inan said, lightly grabbing onto Oren's outstretched hand and pulling him forward. Oren stumbled. "You know how Aaramis is--he won't leave anything for the rest of us if we don't hurry."

Rae lingered for a moment, tossing their group another curious study, before nodding and passing Inan. "Onward, then!"

Gideon raised his hand, catching Sia's attention. His pensive expression lingered on the departing trio even as he spoke. "Unless either of you want to accompany Cross, I suggest we catch up with Aaramis."

Ilias cast an anxious glance in the direction Oren had gone with Oren and Rae in tow, before sighing with a reluctant nod. Sia rubbed her face. As much as she disliked the idea, Gideon was right. So, she sent a silent prayer for luck to Aether before taking off after Aaramis. The djinn shot her a sideways look as she drew even with him, but didn't argue against their presence as he cut through the village.