{Rin}

Things were tense as the three of them waited for June to show up. Understandably, of course, given the extreme shadiness of the current situation.

The others at the inn weren't talking at all. The only sounds were those of the radio playing from the corner and the running water from the sink the innkeeper was washing some plates at.

Rin sat next to Maria, opposite Cara, by the back left corner of the room. She felt strange. Like she was being watched, though no one's eyes were on her.

Just to make sure that she had the right place, Rin brought out both letters she and Xhez had received from June.

[Yeah, this is the place... So, where is she?]

As Rin kept her eyes on the paper resting on the table, a caramel-brown hand slid a gold varol toward her.

"Hm?" Rin looked over at Maria.

"Can you go and get us a room?" Maria asked. "Just so you can go and set everything down for us before we meet with June. We might be here for a while."

As she said that, Maria reached under the table and tapped Xhez's water bag lightly. Rin understood what she meant.

"Uh... Sure."

She stood up and walked over to the innkeeper.

As Rin stood before her, she swore she saw a flash of... something appear on the woman's face for half a second before it faded away, replaced by a polite smile.

"What can I do for you?" She asked.

"I'd like to rent a room for the night," Rin replied, putting the gold coin on the counter.

The innkeeper's eyes went down to the coin and then back up at Rin. She didn't move a muscle. After what looked like a brief moment of hesitation, she took the coin and handed Rin a few silvers of change, along with a small key.

"Alrighty then," she said. "Go on up the stairs and take the first room to the left."

"Thanks."

Her eyes remained on Rin all the way up until she couldn't see her anymore.

Rin went up the stairs as she'd instructed, though, and went into the first on the left. There were only a few other rooms, all of which had their doors open unlike the one Rin walked into.

[This village must not get a whole lot of travelers. Well, makes sense, I guess. It's kinda located in the middle of nowhere.]

Closing the door behind her, Rin placed Xhez's bag on the slightly dusty bed at the center of the room, sitting next to it.

"Xhez?" She asked, looking into the bag.

"C-Can I come out?" Xhez asked.

"Oh, I was about to ask that. Yeah."

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Immediately, the sprite jumped out and landed on the floor.

"I... I would like it if you never traveled in that way again."

"Hm? What way? By car, you mean?"

Xhez nodded. She got on her knees, looking like she was about to puke, taking deep breaths.

"The rumbling made me so nauseous."

"You got through the train ride to Cradle easily, though."

"Well, yes, but the road was stable with that! I do not know what you drove on this time, but my water was sloshing back and forth constantly!"

"Heh, sorry then," Rin replied with a chuckle. "You'll have to put up with it one more time, though. On the return trip."

"Ugh."

Eventually, Xhez went and sat down next to Rin. Concern showed on her face quickly.

"So, we have arrived at the village June is in?"

"Yeah. She wasn't here though, at the inn. We're waiting till she comes back."

Xhez took a moment, closing her eyes and inhaling slowly.

"... I do not like it here," she muttered. "I can feel many strange Spirits surrounding us. Perhaps my senses have been worsened by my nausea, but the Spirits around us feel quite unfriendly."

"Yeah, things feel sketchy. If that's what you're sensing, I think it's worth taking it even more seriously," Rin replied. The innkeeper and the other customers at the inn came to Rin's mind and she asked, "how close are these Spirits?"

"Extremely," Xhez quickly answered. "I can feel Maria and Cara's, however. Their spirits are so bright it makes it difficult to find others."

"Can you feel June's?" Rin asked.

"Uhm, not currently, no. I may simply not be in range, however," she quickly offered, though her concern did not lessen. "Maybe if you took me around the village I could find her."

"Sounds like a plan," Rin replied. "For now, though, we can rest up for a bit. I doubt-"

Suddenly, Xhez's brows shot up.

"Something is coming," she said quietly.

"What, to this room?" Rin asked, lowering her volume as well.

"N-No," Xhez replied, standing up. She hastily walked over to the window and opened it, moving to look outside. Rin pulled her back, though.

"What are you doing? You don't have your disguise on!"

"Right, sorry," Xhez replied, though she didn't take her eyes off the window. "I can feel a powerful person approaching this building. Very powerful."

"Is it an evil one?" Rin asked.

"I... cannot tell," Xhez replied. "It is clouded. The human's intentions are unclear."

[This is probably worth letting Maria and Cara know. I should go back to the first floor.] She looked over at the sprite. [I don't want her to get hurt, though.]

"Xhez, I'm going to leave you up here, just in case anything happens," Rin stated before placing the key to the room in Xhez's hands. "You can lock the door with this. You remember how to use it?"

"Yes... What are you going to do?"

"I just want to tell Maria what you told me," Rin replied. "I'll be back in no time."

Xhez nodded slowly, and Rin walked out of the room, closing the door.

She did so just in time to hear the inn's front doors open.

Rin could hear boots thudding against the ground as a couple of people walked in.

She began walking down the stairs leading back to the first floor. Just as it came into view, she heard:

"Is she..."

The man did not finish his question, as his eyes locked with Rin's.

The first thing Rin noticed were the scars all over him. He was tall, with wild black hair falling down his back and one white eye with no pupil. He was dressed in rags, the type of dirty, stained clothing Rin would often see the homeless wearing. But his body did not look like that of someone who couldn't afford to buy food.

No, he looked strong. Very strong.

He smirked before his eyes then fell on someone else.

Maria.

The woman looked over at Rin and her eyes lowered, probably to see if she had Xhez's bag still on her. When she saw that Rin didn't, she nodded to herself.

"Oh... Is she with you?" he asked Rin's teacher. "Shit. I did not see this coming."

"Rin," Maria said. "Come over here. Cara, go up to the second floor. Stay there."

Her tone left no room for disagreement. Cara stood up and silently did as she asked.

As she passed by Rin, she whispered:

"If things get messy, you leave. Understand?"

"What's going..."

Cara did not stay to hear her finish that question.

So, Rin swallowed and did as Maria asked. She walked back to the table and moved to sit down.

The man was about to take a step toward her as she did so, but Maria cut him off.

The tone she spoke with then was one Rin had never heard come from her.

There was nothing but murder in her words.

"You move one more inch toward her and there will be nothing left for your loved ones to bury, Brine."