So far, things had been going well, comparatively, for Ezekiel and his family. They had yet to take the twins into the Wilderness again but given the dangers and schedules they had to work with, this wasn’t unexpected.

Currently, Evelyn and Warren had plans to spend the day out with Wendy and Ellen later on. Ezekiel had hoped that, by this point, the twins would have spoken to him a bit more about the heart-to-heart that he had with them. But it seemed like they were still nervous around him.

It was unfortunate, but Ezekiel could see that the animosity that had formed between them had faded. At least for the most part. He would say that his relationship with his sisters had reverted to when they had first reunited. Maybe a bit better, since they had a sense of what it was like being him.

For today, however, Ezekiel was doing something he hadn’t done before, and was feeling sort of nervous. He was about to embark on a day out with Riley. Something that, in hindsight, had been pointed out to him as being very much a date. He hadn’t intended it to be one when he asked originally, but he understood where Shine was coming from when they brought it up the day before.

“Are you sure you have everything? Do you need any more money?” Evelyn was busy making sure that Ezekiel’s clothes were straightened and that he looked proper for his day out.

“Yes, mother, I have more than enough money.” Ezekiel couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of how much money he had originally been offered. “I’d almost say that I have too much.”

When his parents found out he was going out today, and that he had invited Riley to go with him, they had asked for a small loan from the Alkena’s. Upon finding out what it was for, they decided to give him a much larger amount than the original amount that was asked for.

To the side, Ellen and Wendy were giggling as they watched. Ezekiel gave a sigh as he stared up at the ceiling. His mother went over his outfit, which was also new, one more time.

“Alright, alright. That's enough. He’s a responsible adult by now. No need to hover over him too much.” Warren called out from where he sat at the dining table. “Besides, he needs to get going. I think Riley is already here.”

At that, Evelyn gasped and began pushing Ezekiel out the door. As it shut behind him, Ezekiel sighed before marching to where he promised to meet with Riley. He was dressed in a suit with no enchantments but made from high quality material. Not meant for battle, but instead for style. Something he didn’t really care for.

He also held a bouquet of flowers that he didn’t know the meaning of. But apparently it was important. He also had Shine at his waist, as per usual. Finally, he had a money pouch tucked into his breast pocket, where it would be safe from pickpockets.

“At least... you look good...” Shine chimed in as they walked towards the exit of the estate. A flash of brilliant red hair caught Ezekiel’s attention as he got closer.

Coming up to the gate, Ezekiel turned the corner, and for the first time since his reincarnation, his breath was taken away by the beauty in front of him.

Riley was wearing a dress that matched her hair color. Never having seen her in a dress before, he found the image before him striking, but not unpleasant. Celia was currently nestled on Riley’s shoulder, and her scales also appeared to match the dress as the little Spirit seemed more like an ornament than a Spirit.

Riley also had her hair done up, tied into a braid that fell over her shoulder, and was wearing a touch of makeup that cleared up some of the small blemishes and scars that nearly all Hunters had. Two emerald earrings were worn as well. Highlighting her features as they complimented her hair.

Seeing Ezekiel standing there staring, her face turned slightly red before she looked away. Ezekiel couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment, or if it was something else.

The fact that Riley had so deeply depended on him after she had first woken up still weighed on his mind. He hoped that this outing wasn’t giving the wrong impression. He didn’t wish to take advantage of her. Even though he wasn’t sure where his own feelings were developing at the moment.

“... These are for you. I think they’re supposed to mean something along the line of ‘I am happy you are here,’ as well as ‘Thank you,’ but I’ve never actually seen these flowers before I got them.” Ezekiel winced as he realized that his words might make the message insincere.

“Ah... thank you...” Riley took the flowers with a slightly crooked smile.

From what Ezekiel could tell, she seemed to be just as awkward at this as him. Though, he figured that it made sense. Neither of them had really been able to date, given the lives that they had been forced to live.

“That’s a nice dress. The earrings are good too.” Riley smiled more honestly at Ezekiel’s compliments.

“Thank you. I... ended up getting some help from Shari. It was... surprising. We haven’t really spoken much since I got here. Kind of her to do though.” Riley went quiet as she said this.

Ezekiel didn’t like it. The image of his most exuberant childhood friend being so nervous and withdrawn wasn’t right to him. He hoped that he would be able to draw out more of the old Riley.

“Seems like we have something in common. My family helped me get ready too. I originally thought this would be a bit of an adventure. With the two of us exploring the city for the day. But instead I received these.” Ezekiel held up the gift that his mother had given him when he had first come down from his room that morning. “Apparently, they’re reservations for one of the more well to do restaurants in the city. I hope you don’t mind if we stay out until dinner.”

Riley looked surprised but shook her head.

“No, no, no. I’m free for the whole day. We can do whatever you want.” Seeing Riley growing flustered, Ezekiel decided that they should probably head out before things become awkward again.

“In that case, let’s head out. We can grab a bite if you haven’t eaten yet, and maybe see what’s at the market. From there, perhaps we can see what the other districts have to offer.” Ezekiel gestured to the street and the two were off.

Ezekiel continued talking. In an attempt to keep things from turning into an awkward silence. But he gave Riley ample opportunity to speak as well. Asking her questions about how she had been. Making sure she was alright living in the city.

All while trying to ignore the fact that this day out really had turned into a date.

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For the most part, Ezekiel found himself enjoying the time he was spending with Riley. They had grabbed a quick bite to eat and were walking through the merchant district of the city.

Ezekiel wasn’t looking for anything in particular, but Riley looked interested in what she was seeing. While Ezekiel didn’t see much of the appeal, he somewhat understood why Riley would be interested. Spending nearly a decade training to be a weapon wouldn’t have given her any chances to see these types of things.

“If you see anything you like, just grab it. I should have enough money for anything there is in this area.” Ezekiel jingled his concealed coin purse for Riley. She looked unsure of herself, so she just continued looking around. Not bothering to grab anything.

Soon enough, they left the area. Neither one had actually bought anything.

Feeling that the situation was turning awkward once more, Ezekiel decided to try talking to Riley once more. Given they were in a side street, they had a little bit of privacy for whatever they talked about.

“So... how have things been? I would imagine that work has picked up for you.” Ezekiel was quiet and curious as he spoke. “I’m sorry if we’ve been causing any troubles for you.”

Riley looked shocked as she turned to Ezekiel. Her eyes wide and fearful as she replied.

“No, no, no! You and your family have done nothing wrong! Yes, things have been a bit hectic when it comes to security. But if it wasn’t for you, things would be so much worse for me.” Riley stepped away as she spoke, her arms flailing about. “If you hadn't saved me, I would’ve died a while ago.”

The pair fell quiet. Both were unsure of what else to say. But guilt welled up in Ezekiel’s chest as his thoughts bounced around. Was this hero worship? Did Riley feel that she owed him? Was his concern for her health being projected the wrong way?

“... The important thing is that you’re alright now. You don’t owe me anything for what I did.” Ezekiel said.

“Yes, I do!” Riley exclaimed. “You didn’t have to do anything to help me. Yet you risked your life to save me. Even after I had tried to kill you!”

At this point, Ezekiel glanced around to see if anyone was nearby to overhear this. Luckily, the area seemed to be clear. So, Ezekiel felt it was alright to reply truthfully.

“You were being mind-controlled by the Cult of Light. You deserve to be saved. Just like all the other people that were captured and brainwashed by the Cult. Something I wish I had the power to do.” Ezekiel’s tone fell as he thought of all the people who had been harmed by the Cult of Light. “No matter your actions in the Cult, I knew that you wouldn’t have done what you did if you had any choice. They wouldn’t have had to use mind-control otherwise.”

Riley just looked down, ignoring Ezekiel’s words.

Stolen story; please report.

“... I still hurt a lot of people.” Riley’s voice was barely a whisper.

“You did what you needed to do to survive.” Ezekiel could imagine what she needed to do. He even expected that she had been forced to fight against Guild and Church forces in disguise as well.

“You’re helping now, aren’t you? The enemies of the ones that hurt you. So, I figure that that means you still know your right from wrong. Now, you just need to make sure the Cult never gets its claws on you again.” Ezekiel smiled as he thought of Riley fighting off the Cult. Something that she mirrored.

Both appeared more than pleased at the thought of bringing down the Cult of Light.

Ezekiel, happy to see that Riley’s mood was slowly improving, had an idea of what to do next.

“Hey, I know we’re not exactly dressed for it, but do you want to head to the Guild sector? The Wandering Titans have a branch here, and I’ve got a few friends that might have some tips and tricks to share. If you’re interested.” Riley suddenly looked nervous at the thought of meeting with a Guild.

Before she could say no, however, Celia stuck her tongue out and gave Riley a lick on her neck.

“Ah!” Riley gave a startled jump at the sudden sensation. She glared at Celia for a moment. But the little Spirit just curled back up to continue pretending to be an ornament. “... I guess that should be okay.”

Riley looked reluctant to go, but Ezekiel felt that this might be good for her.

“Just think of it this way, the Guilds are far more powerful than a family guard. If anyone can help you hurt the Cult, it would be them.” Riley smiled again at the thought.

Feeling a bit more confident and comfortable, Ezekiel held out an arm for Riley. As her face turned red again, she looped her arm around his as they walked off. The Guild district was a way away, but they still had time before the reservation for dinner.

Above them, too far away for Shine to passively sense, a small gray bird watched in silence as the Hunter duo walked away. As a blue bird took its spot to follow their targets, the gray one flew away. Ready to make a report to its partner.

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Lightning and fire flashed through a makeshift arena as Riley did her best to avoid the magic being thrown at her. She was still dressed in the fancy clothing she had been provided for this date. But it was utterly pristine. As if nothing could touch it while she sparred in the arena.

A small pendant around her neck glowed whenever a stream of fire or bolt of lightning came too close. Glowing golden hexagons appeared around her in tandem with the necklace’s glow. A shield provided to her that would deflect any superficial damage from damaging her dress.

But for Ezekiel, who was watching the spar between Riley and two other Hunters, the thing that grabbed his attention the most was the face splitting grin that covered Riley’s face. Her eyes glimmered in joy as she fought to the best of her abilities.

The fact that Ezekiel could clearly see that she had fully recovered from her spiritual injuries was also something that made him smile.

“You know... when you told me you were on a date, I honestly thought you were crazy to come here. But after seeing the young lady’s face, it seems like you actually know what you’re doing.” Ezekiel’s face reddened slightly for a second before he got himself under control. Turning to the side, he gave a half-hearted glare in response to Herend’s teasing.

“... It’s not a date...” Ezekiel grumbled as he turned back to watch Riley dueling with Philip and another Wandering Titan Hunter. He winced as Riley barely managed to avoid a direct hit from a bolt of lightning.

“The concern and joy you’re feeling tells otherwise. Though, I must say, I’m glad to see that the boy I saw all those years ago is more human than expected.” Herend leaned back in his seat next to Ezekiel. “It’s also nice to know that people from the Cult can be saved.”

Ezekiel glanced around the room. Cautious of any eavesdroppers.

“That can only be said for those that were taken and forced to join against their will. None of their Legendaries can be saved. They are the villains that create the problems people need to be saved from.” Ezekiel was basically growling as he expressed his opinion of the Cult of Light.

“... If you say so. You’d know more than me, after all.” Herend backed off from the topic, realizing that it was not a good topic to touch upon. “But it’s good to see that your friend is recovering. You wouldn’t think she’d had her soul seared just a half a year ago.”

As Riley whipped her sword around, letting loose a torrent of flames that Philip and the other Hunter rolled to avoid, she let out a laugh of joy at finally letting loose after so long.

“Yeah... I’m glad that she’s recovered so well.” Ezekiel fell silent as he watched the duel below.

A part of him was envious of Riley’s magical abilities. Something that he was still far away from recovering for himself. But in that moment, he felt confident that things would turn out okay.

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It was a couple hours later when Ezekiel and Riley left the Guild sector. Herend and Philip were the only ones that Ezekiel was familiar with during their time there. Filia and Tracy had been out on a mission, while Garrad had his own duties as the overseeing Guild Leader for the Wandering Titans in Tollren. But Ezekiel was happy to see that Riley had meshed well with them, as it meant that she would have more options in the future.

Roley had even gotten some assistance in getting cleaned up afterwards. Though, thankfully the necklace had kept her clean for the most part. Ezekiel hadn’t thought that the sparring protections that the Guilds invested in would have had such specifics. But it had all turned out for the best.

“Given the smile that’s still on your face, I’d say you must’ve enjoyed yourself, right?” Ezekiel had a smirk plastered on his face that only grew as Riley looked away with a blush.

“Maybe.” Riley replied, going quiet once more. Ezekiel couldn’t help but frown as he saw the shift in mood once again.

“Hey, you know you don’t have to be embarrassed about being happy, right?” Ezekiel reached forward to stop her from looking away. She froze up and he stopped. Pulling his hand back slowly.

“You should be happy that you’re enjoying yourself. There’s nothing stopping you except for you right now.” Ezekiel couldn’t help but sigh but put on a smile before she could notice. “For now, let’s get moving. We’ve got a way to go before we get to the reservation for dinner.”

Riley looked confused for a moment, before she remembered what Ezekiel had said about the tickets for dinner that morning. They had spent so much time walking around the city that she had completely forgotten.

However, as the duo started walking away from the Wandering Titan’s Guild house, a soft voice from Ezekiel’s side spoke up.

“Above... two birds. They’ve left... and come back... multiple times...” Shine’s observation startled Ezekiel. He glanced to the side, to see if Riley had heard. But it seemed like Shine’s control was still improving, as it looked like only Ezekiel had heard.

“Can you take them out?” Ezekiel asked, his steps slowing ever so slightly to bring him just a bit behind Riley. He trusted Shine to hide his voice, but still needed to hide his lips.

“Maybe... They left and entered... my range several times... But I think... they’re close enough.” Shine shifted in their sheath, positioning themself just right.

Ezekiel couldn’t see where the apparent Spirits were hiding. But he trusted Shine to be able to get them. He had no qualms about doing this either, as there would be no means of confirming that Ezekiel had done anything to their unwelcome observers.

He knew that they weren’t Spirits bonded to Guild native Hunters either. They were expressly forbidden from using their Spirits from spying on things in Imperial cities. Something that he was thankful for in this situation, as there were always concerns about such things in the Archipelago.

“Turn to your left... just a bit... Then unsheathe me... three inches.” Shine instructed Ezekiel as to what he needed to do.

Twisting slightly at the waist, Ezekiel reached down as he caught Riley’s eye. He gave her a smile, causing her to redden and turn away. Just as Ezekiel pulled Shine out of their sheath, ever so slightly. The act was silent, and otherwise unseen, but Shine’s words once Ezekiel put them back into their sheath were reassuring.

“Both are dead... They were low Step... Tier twos...” Ezekiel subtly nodded his head. Shine might not be Tier four just yet, but they were still at the peak of Tier three. Given the circumstances, it wasn’t a surprise that they had dealt with it so easily. Of course, Ezekiel knew he would have to deal with the fallout later on. But for now, he knew that he was safe from whoever was spying on him. Now, he could just enjoy the rest of his night out.

“Ezekiel,” he turned upon hearing Riley’s voice, “is something wrong? Celia said you drew your sword just a bit.”

“No... I just had to remove some unwanted observers.” Ezekiel gave her a soft smile, which helped prevent her from freaking out. “Nothing that either of us need to worry about. Not, let’s go get dinner, shall we?”

Putting his recent actions out of his mind, Ezekiel held out an arm once more. Riley looked nervous again, but still looped her arm around his. They both smiled as they made their way to another sector of the city.

All the while, totally unaware of the two Apprentice Mages that were screaming and crying in an inn within Tollren. Separated from Ezekiel and Riley by just two sectors of the city. Both went mad with grief as they ran out the doors to the building. Their own meals and drinks were now long forgotten.

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As Ezekiel and Riley were heading back to the Alkena estate, a comfortable silence surrounded them as they walked through the dimly lit streets. The shops and people had long since closed and gone home for the night.

The dinner had been a surprisingly simple affair. Ezekiel had almost expected something to occur. A noble interrupting them. Maybe getting kicked out for his elemental affinity. Stark white hair wasn’t common, after all.

But nothing happened. The dinner went well, and it seemed like this day was going to come to an end on a high note. Seeing the smile on Riley’s face, he realized that today had been a truly beautiful day. One he found himself hoping to repeat in the future. Something he hadn’t expected to feel that morning.

“Ezekiel... four figures coming... from the front.” Ezekiel sharply turned his attention from Riley. Seeing four cloaked figures in front of him, Ezekiel couldn’t help letting out a frustrated sigh.

“Ancients dammit! Today was going so well.” Riley looked confused for a moment but turned to see the figures in front of them.

Looking around, Ezekiel saw that the street they were on was utterly empty. As well as quieter than expected. He had thought that it was simply quiet because of the time. But now, he could tell that it was quiet because one of the Mages was maintaining a sound barrier via Tempest magic.

“You killed my subordinates’ Spirits.” One of the cloaked figures called out. A man, if their voice was anything to go by. Ezekiel didn’t really care what they had to say but could tell that the person in front of them was a Legendary Hunter. One whose Spirit was seated on the ground beside them. A large canine with Violet fur.

“Two Apprentices, one Adept, one Legendary.” Shine told Ezekiel and Riley. They kept their voice from being heard by the Hunters in front of them. Both Riley and Ezekiel grimaced at the thought. If they ended up in a fight right here, then things were not going to go well, for any of them.

“We need to go. Sorry about this.” Before she could reply to Ezekiel’s words, Riley found herself pulled into Ezekiel’s arms. A blinding light covered them both as a loud boom shook them down to their bones. Ezekiel let out a grunt of pain. Riley puked as a sudden sense of vertigo overcame her.

Ezekiel then jumped, launching them both into the air. Once more, taking to the rooftops. A flash of lightning in the distance made Riley realize that they had somehow moved over a dozen blocks away in an instant. But none of that mattered, as Ezekiel carried her away across the rooftops.

Several cracks of lightning echoed over the area. Ezekiel let out a couple more grunts of pain. Landing on the ground, He made a mad dash towards the Alkena Estate. But it seemed like he didn’t need to worry as much now.

It was clear that their enemy wasn’t willing to grab the attention of the city guards and Guild Leaders. Instead, the pair were home free as Ezekiel ran home. Celia and Shine were both on the lookout for any enemies. But Riley seemed distracted as Ezekiel carried her.

Arriving at the estate, Ezekiel nodded his head at one of the guards. They quickly, but quietly, alerted the household that Ezekiel had come home at a much faster speed than usual.

As he let Riley down, Ezekiel let out another sigh. Checking his outfit over, he realized that he had several holes in the back of his jacket and shirt. As well as scorch marks cover that area as well. Checking over Riley, Ezekiel was relieved to see that she was unharmed.

“Well... hopefully the next time we do this, the ending won’t be as harrowing.” Ezekiel scratched his cheek in worry. He was assuming quite a bit right now and was confused regarding his own feelings on the matter. But he couldn’t deny that he had enjoyed himself.

“Yeah... next time.” Riley blushed again but didn’t pull away as they both stood there. Allowing the guards to question them regarding what had happened.

Needless to say, it seemed like the pair would be grilled for more details than just their day out.