Thankfully, Wisteria was only a day's travel from Nemia.

By the time the sun began to dip low in the sky, the pristine, pink petals of the village's namesake wisteria tree could be spied towering over the guild house. Oren's constant complaints buzzed through the background of Sia's thoughts as she tugged on the straps of her bag, an eagerness to be done with the day spreading through her veins like wildfire. After near exhausting her mana reserve, collapsing into her bed sounded like pure heaven.

First, though, they had a report to give.

It was the rule of their trade. The guild's commissions were issued based on the viability of its members' abilities to complete the task. The potential employer would contact the adventurer's coalition--or the guild itself if they couldn't afford the third-party fees--and issue a request. Once finished, they needed to immediately report the results to the guild, even if the employer themselves had been present to see the event unfold. Every finished job reflected well on their guild, encouraging new commissions to be issued to them from the coalition.

And by the gods was Starry Rose always in need of good publicity.

Hawthorne reached for the guild door, fingers on the handle, just as someone came flying through it. Sia reflexively grabbed Oren's wrist--pulling both of them out of the way--as Hawthorne was sent crashing to the ground. Her alarm faded to annoyed amusement as instead of removing himself from their guildmate, the newcomer propped himself up with his hands. Long, midnight-blue locks tumbled around his face, blocking the view of Hawthorne's burning cheeks as the demon offered an almost smug grin.

"Well, hello there," he greeted. "Fancy meeting you here, like this."

Oren scoffed and stepped past the two of them. Sia could hear him yelling something to Gideon as he entered the guild. Obviously, Hawthorne being knocked off his feet hadn't been enough to deter her friend from the low sum they'd received for their work.

Which meant it was her job to save Hawthorne. Lovely.

Sia seized the demon's collar and--ignoring the difference in their sizes--dragged him off of her teammate. The mage in question was too stiff to be trusted to push the blue-skinned man off by himself.

"C'mon, Cross," she chided. "You know better."

"Know better than...what, exactly?" he quipped as he pulled away. His fingers carded through his hair, that smile of his only growing. "Enthusiastically greeting my guildmates as they return from the brink of life-and-death?"

"It wasn't--"

"Showing my affection through a loving embrace?"

"Is that why you got tossed?" she questioned. "Did Sky reject you again?"

Only then seeming to remember whatever he had been doing before their arrival, Cross spun around.

"Not yet! This was just a minor setback. Sky and I have a new arrangement. I've only lost when I bleed!"

Then, abandoning any shreds of dignity Cross could be said to wield on any given day, the sorcerer darted back into the guild. Sia sighed, turning her attention to where Hawthorne still laid in the dirt, frozen.

"You okay?"

"...y-yeah."

"Up we go, then," Sia urged, grabbing his hand.

By the time she'd finished hauling Hawthorne to his feet--very carefully avoiding touching him any more than necessary, lest she make the situation worse--Cross was already groaning into the floorboards. To her credit, Sky almost appeared to consider letting him up at the sound, before changing her mind and digging the heel of her boot more thoroughly into the small of his back. The fistful of hair in her hand was used to tilt his head up just enough for her lips to reach his ear as she murmured something, before smiling, patting his cheek, and releasing his head. Then, without another glance, the S-rank adventurer stepped over Cross and started for the back of the room where Sia could spy several unfamiliar faces.

Stolen story; please report.

New recruits? Sky was always harder to deal with when there were new faces to impress.

"So no date, then?" Cross called.

"You haven't won yet, kid," she tossed over her shoulder.

"I'm going to...something," Hawthorne mumbled. She gave him a sympathetic nod as he waved a hand, before covering his still red face and heading for one of the back tables. No doubt he wouldn't emerge until he was certain Cross had forgotten about him.

Sia turned to the bar.

The dark oak counter ran along the left wall, blocking access to the kitchen door, as well as endless cabinets of varying potions and alcohols. As always seemed to be the case, a familiar brunette was busy behind the counter. Her hands were buried in soapy water, the welcoming sound of clinking glass resounding from the deep sink. As Sia hopped onto a stool, the elven woman glanced up, a warm smile on her lips. Her dishes were immediately dismissed in favor of a tumbler.

"I thought you were back, Val," she greeted. "Oren was impossible to miss."

Sia frowned. She braced her elbow against the bar top and propped her chin in her palm.

"Don't call me that, Phina."

Seraphina rolled her eyes. "If you didn't want me to call you by your name, Val, you shouldn't have told me."

"That's not fair," Sia protested. Indignation twisted her stomach.. "My dad's the one who told you."

Sera shrugged, her attention dropping to hands she grabbed a glass. "It co--"

Hands slammed down on the bar, making Sia jump. "Sera--"

"No."

Sia groaned, turning her face into her palm as Cross draped himself over the seat next to her. Couldn't he have stayed fixated on Sky? That would have been less exhausting.

Seeming to pick up on her annoyance, Cross flicked her back with his tail. He didn't push his luck any further, however, instead choosing to focus his attention on the irate elf before him. "One mo--"

"No. The master has some sort of announcement today, you're not getting another drink. And I swear to the gods if you come back here and try to make one for yourself, I will skin you."

He laughed. "A bit harsh don't you think?"

"Don't you have somewhere better to be, Cross?" Sera sighed while passing a finished drink over to Sia. "Flirting with Rhett? Embarrassing Thorne? Anywhere that isn't my bar?"

He waved a hand dismissively.

"Kier came in without his tie. I look at Rhett, he'll have my throat."

"He wo--" Sia began.

"He would," Cross insisted. "You weren't here earlier. He stormed in, demanded to know where Rhett was, then proceeded to share the guy's chair."

Sia grimaced. If that had truly happened, Cross' worries didn't seem too far-fetched. No one really knew what the green-haired mage's issue was, but whenever Kier showed up with a complaint on his breath and his clothes in an embarrassing state of dishevelment, it was better to leave him and Rhett alone. Similarly, if he appeared in the guild without a word to anyone else and donned in a cloak, it was better to fetch Waverly. Between the two of them, someone would manage to calm Kier.

Sera seemed to come to the same conclusion, because she shook her head. Her hands returned to her dishes. "I thought he was with Waverly this morning."

"I think she's sick," Cross replied, shrugging. "Something about eating concrete."

Sia choked on her drink. The alcohol burned her throat, sending her into a series of coughs. Sera shot her a look and grabbed a cloth to toss her way. "Be careful."

"She ate concrete?" Sia demanded.

"I think so?" he said, scratching his cheek. "Pretty sure that's what I heard. Anyways, Kier left this morning to look after her. If he's back, she's probably fine."

After eating concrete.

Oddly enough, it probably wasn't the weirdest thing someone had done at the guild. So, Sia rubbed her face, before using the cloth Sera had tossed to wipe at the counter.

"I see."

"Anyways," Cross continued, gaze flicking back to Sera. "That's why--"

"I said no."

Just as Cross looked ready to launch into what would likely be an argument that got him hexed and kicked out for the night, the sound of rustling leaves caught Sia's ears. She tilted her head back, studying the thick Wisteria branches that curled through the ceiling of the guild. If she had been anywhere else, drink in hand, she might have wondered if the alcohol was stronger than expected. After all, outside of Starry Rose, the sight of a guildmaster sprawled over a tree branch, face propped up by her hands as she stared down at the guild with open excitement would have been a hallucination.

But, it was Starry Rose.

"Most of you are here! That makes this easier!"

Despite the regular volume of the cheery words, it did wonders for the buzzing conversations. Almost immediately, quiet overtook the room.

"I have news!"

Silence. Sia almost groaned. Of course Varya wouldn't make this easy for them.

Thankfully, Sera was there to save the day with her usual dry humor. "News you'll come down to share?"

Varya blinked, tilting her head out of her hands. The confusion that touched her face was edged with genuine concern.

"Why? Is it hard to see me?"

"...no. Trust me. We can all see you, Master."

"Oh! Good," Varya replied. Her beaming smile returned as her head fell back in her hands. "Anyways. The news! I'm sure you've all heard about the tourney by now."

Excitement sparked along Sia's spine. Was she serious?

"I've decided we're going to join."