Chapter III

The dirt road that cut through the countryside seemed to go on forever, with nothing but fields of grass in all directions as far as the eye could see. The fact that it was blazing hot made the trek even worse, leaving the young man grateful he and his companion decided to use their horses rather than go on foot like they initially considered. After all, the people they had spoken to back in town assured them that their destination wasn’t too far away, but they’d been riding for over an hour, forcing him to wonder if they’d lied and sent him off in a random direction just to make him stop questioning them. He decided that if they had been duped, he may very well use his authority to have those townspeople arrested for failure to comply with an official Ijirian investigation. The young man sighed, first reaching up to brush his silver bangs aside and wipe the sweat from his forehead before grabbing his water skin from his saddlebag and going for a drink. Yet, he was reminded that he’d already finished his water, and upon remembering that fact, he scoffed with annoyance.

“Out of water, are we, Glaus? I did warn you that you’d run out if you guzzled it too quickly.”

“Shut up, Caeli…” he snapped. “I thought it’d be a twenty minute walk at most! I swear, those bastards are gonna have hell to pay when we get back to Yisana. And besides, I’m a damn water mage, so I can fill it right back up!”

Ryokumo chuckled, watching as Rennigan cast Aquatani and struggled to aim the stream of water into the small hole at the top of the skin. The other man’s laughter only made Rennigan’s aim worse, so he cursed to himself and simply opened his mouth, easing his parched throat by placing his hand against his lips and casting the spell directly. He turned his head forward again and continued to gaze down the never-ending path, not wanting to see his partner’s wry grin. A glance at the sky showed that there were still no clouds that could provide him relief from that infernal summer sun beating down on him, so he shook his head and decided some conversation might be enough to distract him from his discomfort.

“You think this is really it?” he grumbled. “Or are we once again on a wild goose chase that’ll end in nothing but nonsense?”

Ryokumo shrugged, smiling despite his own face being obviously drenched in sweat. “Well, if this woman is who we think she is, then I have no doubt she’ll have what we need. The real question is whether our information is accurate or not. Rumors are always rampant in the countryside, and for all we know, everything we’ve heard about her might just be urban legend. Nevertheless, we’re almost there, so there’s no point in stressing over it anymore.”

“I suppose so,” Rennigan grunted. “I just worry we’re in for a repeat of what happened in Justino. The last thing I need is for this to turn out to be yet another drugged up bear man.”

Ryokumo laughed with unbridled amusement. “Now now, Glaus, that might not have been exactly what we were looking for, but it’s a hell of a story, you know? The number of times I’ve gone to the tavern and told the locals about it, only for them to listen with bated breath, is far too high to count. It’s not every day you meet an ursorish anywhere north of Norania, let alone one as fucked up by every known drug as he was. I’ll never forget the sight of you sprinting like a madman shouting, ‘save me, Caeli!’, with that monstrous creature biting at your ass. When I’m feeling down, I just think of that moment and magically, all my woes are eased.”

“I truly hate you,” Rennigan spat. “Besides, it’s not like you were calm and composed. I seem to recall you getting slammed into a tree by the bastard, all the while shooting me desperate looks that were pleading with me to save you.”

“Nope. Don’t remember that.”

“Of course you don’t! If reality makes you look bad, you always conveniently forget!”

“Ah well, what does it really matter?” Ryokumo said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “But at the very least, as much as we’ve been disappointed before, I don’t think this one could possibly be as bad as that. Not only have we actually done the proper research this time, but we have it on multiple accounts that this woman is not, in fact, a rabid bear man.”

“Lovely. Those are our standards now? The bare minimum of effort and not a bear man. Shoot me now, Caeli.”

Rennigan snorted, knowing that his friend did have a point in that they had more reason to believe this woman may know something about their target than they did when they investigated the “Berserker of Justino”. However, hope was something that Rennigan Glaus had very little of these days, and a strong part of him wondered why this time, of all times, would be when they finally learned what they wanted to. After all, they’d been searching for information on Quill Tyrus for two years now, ever since he and Ryokumo graduated from the Academy of Erika and became fully licensed mages.

The unkillable man who was posing as Hakelades Omorossa and who slaughtered Rennigan’s team right before his eyes had been tormenting him in both his dreams and his waking hours ever since the Battle of Stellareid. Not a day went past that he didn’t think about the moments when Jessi Yuahl, Hirokol Pafran, and Fayela Rio met their ends while he was unable to do anything to save them. They lost a lot in Stellareid, but Quill Tyrus was the one who personally destroyed Rennigan’s life. What made it worse was just how close he had come to killing the man. Quill’s body had been utterly fried by Faye, Renngain had destroyed the entire entertainment district, and even Ryokumo joining the fray had not been enough to defeat him. He was indestructible—a man who could hardly be considered human, and with Leiolai Sartella on his side, Rennigan knew that any damage dealt in Stellareid was not permanent. If he confronted Quill again, then he would be back to square one.

Which is why I refuse to be a fool. I will hunt that man down, but not before I learn the secret behind his abilities. Nobody is invincible, so there must be some trick—some means of bypassing his protection and making him mortal.

The answer to that question was what Rennigan Glaus and Ryokumo Caeli had been spending the last two years trying to find. He spent his last three semesters at the Academy alone and teamless, but he took advantage of his disadvantage to hone his magic to perfection. Every waking hour was spent studying and in the end, he was the top of his class even over the three remaining royal team members. Rennigan was determined to become more powerful, and while this pleased his father given it made him a higher level candidate for Nyx Rana’s apprenticeship, he had long since given up any ambitions of becoming a Master. Every second of training was dedicated to the death of Quill Tyrus, so the very day after graduating, Rennigan began his investigation.

And for some reason, this buffoon sought to help me…

As was dictated by tradition, the royal team was disbanded upon graduation. Album and Nigreos became the full-time Masters of Light and Darkness, leaving Ryokumo as the only one without an immediate career. He had been training in the arts of Korrei-Tarr in his last few semesters, so Rennigan always figured the wind mage would turn his sights on their ranks—that he would apply to their training regiments and become the hybrid swordsman/mage that they were made of. Yet, on the morning after graduation when Rennigan was cleaning out his dorm, Ryokumo appeared on his doorstep and said,

“Listen Glaus, I don’t feel like settling down just yet. I’d still like to see more of the world, so I plan to become an independent mage like you rather than join the Korrei-Tarr. Liri’s already told me she’ll get me the license, so why don’t you and I work together? I’m sure I can offer you my services in your hunt for Tyrus.”

Naturally, Rennigan had refused since he didn’t want anybody else put in danger by his own path for revenge, but Ryokumo was a stubborn person who refused to take no for an answer. He constantly insisted, even going so far as to invite himself on Rennigan’s investigations, and eventually, the water mage just stopped trying to push back.

And even though I’ll never say this to him, I know I’d be dead right now if he wasn’t backing me up. He’s saved my life more times than I count, as I’ve saved his… And he…was the one who stopped Tyrus from ending my life in that entertainment district.

“Hakelades Omorossa has taken more than enough from us tonight, so I will not let him take you, too… Look at my face and try to find the deceit. I don’t want you to die. Not even a little bit. Do you understand me… After all of that, you’re telling me to let you die, too—to walk away and pretend like I never knew you? Bullshit! It’s unfortunate that I’m unwelcome, but as you know well, Rennigan Glaus, you are stuck with me and you always will be. You’re not going to die on my watch.”

Recalling what Ryokumo said to him that night, Rennigan couldn’t help but smirk to himself, for it seemed those words were not limited to Stellareid. Ryokumo had stuck by him ever since, and Rennigan was truly grateful for it. Even setting aside the wind mage’s defense of his life, his connection with Princess Ilirianna was how they received most of their information on Quill, and this current instance was no different.

“There have been rumors in the town of Yisana in the southern region that tell of an older woman who fended off a group of bandits by herself,” Ilirianna had explained to them. “They say she took dozens of spells straight to her body and was never once injured. It’s quite possible that the stories are exaggerated, but the descriptions match Quill’s ability. It’s possible she has something similar… Do with that as you will.”

Rennigan had instantly gotten to investigating this woman, hoping to learn whatever he could as he and Ryokumo swiftly departed for Yisana. When they made it to town, they asked around at various taverns and marketplaces, only to be met with the strongest lead they ever received from one of the locals who had called out to them when he overheard them asking about the bandit attack.

“Ah, yeah, Ms Jellia… A recluse, that one. Most around here don’t know her all that well cause she lives by herself out in the country. That being said, I’m rather familiar with her just because I knew her late husband. Two of us worked together down at the blacksmiths for a time… What was his name…? Kallaran Tyrus, if I’m not mistaken…”

Tyrus… Rennigan spoke the name in his mind, knowing now that it could not possibly be related to the indestructible woman by chance. This lead had to be what he was after, but there was no guarantee that Ms Jellia would cooperate with them. And with our luck, this’ll turn into a brawl before we’re even halfway to the door.

It was as that grim thought went through Rennigan’s mind that he spotted the small house just on the horizon, their destination finally in sight. He and Ryokumo exchanged uncertain glances, then increased the speed of their horses in the hopes of getting there faster. As the building became clearer, Rennigan noted just how small it was. In fact, it was more like an isolated cottage on the side of the road with brown wooden walls, a green roof, and a small porch out front. To the right was a rather large garden at which Rennigan could see a wide variety of vegetables, with even a small orchard just beyond it. The road they were riding diverged near the cottage, with the smaller pathway leading towards a red farmhouse further away where, based on the few nasty whiffs on the air, held some livestock.

“Well, she seems self-sufficient,” Ryokumo commented. “And with a town so close by, it seems like a lot of unnecessary effort.

Rennigan nodded. “Yes, she clearly doesn’t want to be bothered.”

“Then she’s not gonna like us, now will she?”

“Almost certainly not.”

Rennigan and Ryokumo rode towards the porch as they scanned the vicinity for any sign of Nattie Jellia, but it seemed she wasn’t in the garden. The water mage narrowed his eyes, reaching out with his senses to feel for anybody’s presence, only to find a single signature within the cottage itself. There was nobody else around, or at least nobody Rennigan could sense, so keeping his instincts alert, he swung his leg over the saddle and dropped to the ground, Ryokumo soon following suit. The two mages then walked up the two steps leading to the porch and, having already discussed their plans, Rennigan didn’t hesitate to knock. They refrained from drawing their mana so as to not come across antagonistically, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t constantly following the signature as it approached the door and answered it.

They were met with the visage of an average old lady, with wrinkled features, short white hair, warm brown eyes, and a small, fragile frame. There was nothing threatening about her aside from the powerful mana he could sense within her.

“Good afternoon,” she greeted with a smile. “You two are a long way from town. How may I help you?”

Rennigan took the lead, reaching down into his pocket to produce the silver badge containing the symbol of the water affinity, a single large droplet of rain, that identified him as a certified Ijirian mage.

“Good afternoon to you as well, Ms Jellia,” he replied. “My name is Rennigan Glaus of Erika, and this is my partner, Ryokumo Caeli. We’re here on official Erikan business and would like to discuss something with you. May we come in?”

As Rennigan spoke, Jellia’s eyes shifted towards the badge, but instead of regarding it with suspicion or anxiety, her features instead softened with acceptance as she stepped aside and motioned for them to enter.

“Of course you may. Shall I fetch you some water or something else to drink? Or maybe some lunch? You both look exhausted.”

“No thank you,” Rennigan answered despite desperately wanting to quench his thirst again. Unfortunately, they couldn’t take unnecessary risks, and it was possible this woman would try to poison them rather than fight them. They needed to be in and out, so as horrible of a thought as it was, Rennigan would simply have to conjure more water once they wrapped things up.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Jellia nodded as if unsurprised. “Very well…”

She took them into a small sitting room adjacent to the front door, which consisted only of an old, tattered rocking chair and a brown couch that might have once been a lighter shade—both of which may very well have been older than Rennigan. The house had a musty scent to it, but he couldn’t deny that it was slightly cozy as well. Jellia hobbled over to the rocking chair, appearing more frail than he would have expected given that her farm seemed well-tended to, though he supposed she might have used magic to handle the chores. As she took her seat, Rennigan and Ryokumo lowered themselves onto the couch, the former’s heartbeat starting to increase as he faced a very real possibility that the answers he’d desperately been seeking could be right before him.

“I must say,” Jellia began softly, a sad smile turning her aged lips. “I expected I’d be seeing a visit from the capital soon. I normally try to keep a lower profile, but those bandits were just causing too much trouble and I feared people would die if I didn’t step in and do something about it. I do not regret what I’ve done, so if this is about my endurance, I will apologize for not registering it and will gladly cooperate with you as you need.”

Rennigan frowned, not sensing any deceit in her words, and a glance at Ryokumo confirmed that he hadn’t either. “Listen, while this is about your ability, I can assure you that I am not here to arrest you or cause problems for you. I honestly don’t care whether it’s registered or not and I commend you for helping the people of Yisana.”

“You…do?” The old woman sat up a bit straighter. “W-well, then how may I be of service? What about my ability is relevant to the mages of Erika?”

Pondering how to go about this now that Jellia was being surprisingly cooperative, Rennigan decided not to be too roundabout and got to the point. “I heard back in town that your husband passed away some time ago, a man named Kallaran Tyrus. Can you tell me a little bit about him? And for that matter, can you tell me if you ever had children, and if so, did any of them have the same endurance you do?”

“Oh… I see…” Understanding dawned on her face yet again, telling Rennigan that she was not surprised he was interested in her husband. “How much do you already know about Kal’s death?”

Rennigan shook his head. “Very little. Just that it happened roughly ten years ago or so…”

Jellia gave a soft murmur of acknowledgment. “Yes, well, it’s a tragic tale, as you would expect, but I’ll first answer your question about my children and my ability. The endurance I possess is one of those genetic mutations that appear in people on occasion, and it’s a big trade-off. I am nearly indestructible, but that is because ninety-five percent of my mana is being forcefully poured into maintaining my defense. As such, I cannot cast spells the way others can. I am severely handicapped with magic.”

That makes sense, Rennigan internally commented. Quill mostly fought with his dagger as opposed to any traditional spells, though I wonder if he has more access to his magic than Jellia does. He erected a pocket realm, after all, even if it was smaller than most.

“This ability,” the old woman went on, “is not common in our family tree. I’d say one out of every thirteen are born with it, and we’ve gone entire generations without it ever expressing itself. The last person to have it before me was my great-grandfather. My husband and I had four children, none of which expressed it, and of our nine grandchildren, only one had the ability.”

“Quill,” Rennigan stated, and the second he did, Jellia closed her eyes and flinched as if he had struck her across the face, then gave a very soft but pained nod.

“Yes… Quill…” She spoke like she was choking back tears. “I see you’re familiar with him then?”

The water mage hesitated, wondering how much he should reveal to her, or even how much she already knew. “I’ve met him, but I can’t say I know much about him. I don’t know who he is, where he came from, or anything about his history. That’s why I’m here, Ms Jellia.”

“Yes… I see that now… This is about Quill…” she whispered, almost to herself, before taking a deep breath and beginning her story. “He was a very sweet boy and he loved his family more than anything. He would often boast of how he planned to join the city guard and defend Yisana from all threats. He was unkillable, right? He was immune to everything…but he never let that power go to his head. Oh, I made sure of that… He was to be a shield…somebody who would take the damage for those behind him—to use his body and his pain resistance to spare others of agony and suffering. It’s what I always strived to be when I was young enough to still consistently fight.”

“Did you or Quill ever attend any mage schools?” Ryokumo inquired, finally breaking his uncharacteristically long silence. “I mean, I imagine with a power like that, the Citadel would have loved your help.”

Jellia chuckled and shook her head. “Oh, I’m sure the mages of Erika would have been frothing at the mouth for the chance to use our unkillable nature to their benefit. I mean no offense to either of you, but I would sooner drink the most potent of poisons than become an obedient dog of the Citadel. Even before he was radicalized, Quill felt the same.”

“Well, I can’t say I blame either of you,” Ryokumo replied with a shrug then motioned for her to return to her previous story.

Jellia eyed him curiously for a moment, almost certainly thrown off by the wind mage’s flippant comment, but as if deciding not to question them, the old woman thought back to where she had left off before continuing. “My family has historically lived in the country between Krato and the northern Great Cities, with many using their powers for good, albeit as subtly as possible. Yisana just happened to be where my husband and I settled down, and it was where Quill and his brother grew up.” She leaned back in her armchair, her eyes glistening with nostalgia. “I loved those boys with all my heart… My sweet grandbabies…”

Jellia wiped the tears that came to her eyes, and while she did so, Rennigan murmured, “Take your time, Ms. We’re not in any rush.”

“My, you two really are polite for Erikans. Thank you…” She cleared her throat and smiled sadly. “When Quill was a teenager, Yisana was visited by a gang of rogue mages that called themselves the Firecats. They mostly used fire magic, as the name implies, and were wreaking havoc on the countryside as they went from town to town, bleeding the citizens dry by threatening them. If the authorities challenged them, they were swiftly killed. They were students from Krato Academy, I believe, which is why they were so ungodly strong… Naturally, our position so far south left Erika ‘unable’ to send aid while the Ring of Kraton were too busy bickering among themselves to do anything for us. Yisana was left at their mercy, and the Firecats decided they’d be staying here for a time.”

Rennigan sighed, for Jellia’s story was a common one in the current era. There was a large stretch of land between the cluster of the five northern Great Cities and Krato, which caused it to be rather lawless. It took too much effort for the north to send mages to the flatlands when problems came up, so normally, Erika and Noctalus would decree it to be Krato’s responsibility. However, unlike the other five Cities, Krato was not ruled by a single House, rather it was made up of the Ring of Kraton, a group of ten magelords who, as Jellia said, spent more time in verbal combat with each other than actually ruling over their lands. It was why Krato was far more chaotic than the rest of the Great Cities, and thus, gangs like these Firecats could do as they pleased without fear of retribution.

“Now, I never learned the details,” Jellia went on, “but while they were here, Quill’s younger brother, Mirro, was murdered by a member of the gang. His body was found abandoned in a backstreet, charred beyond recognition. He was only identified by the metal locket grasped in his hand—a birthday gift from his mother.”

Rennigan and Ryokumo glanced at one another, the full picture already beginning to appear in their minds even before Jellia had even finished the tale.

“Quill was distraught when he found out,” the old woman told them. “He was overcome by a rage I’d never seen in his eyes, leaving his parents and I unable to stop him from rushing to Yisana in a vengeance-fueled madness. Again, this is all second-hand so take it with a grain of salt, but I was later informed that he started a fight in the streets, managing to kill almost half of the gang before being captured by them. I imagine the only reason they spared his life was because they couldn't figure out how to end it…but that didn’t mean they weren’t about to make him pay.”

Once again, her voice shook and choked with tears, and while Rennigan felt bad about making her relive these experiences, he also couldn’t deny the necessity of understanding the man he sought to kill.

“They came here…” Jellia said through her tears. “This cottage used to be bigger, and the whole family lived on and tended to this farm. But to make Quill pay for what he had done, they came here and killed every single person. My husband, our children, our grandchildren…all burned by the flames of the Firecats. I was…” She let out a trembling breath. “I was out at the barn, and I heard the screaming too late. By the time I rushed over, they were already dead… All of them…gone… Just like that…”

The sitting room fell silent with the exception of Jellia’s sniffling. Rennigan understood her pain, at least to some extent, for he knew what it was like to be unable to save those he loved—to be so close yet so powerless.

“What happened next?” Rennigan forced himself to ask.

“I finished them off… They were unprepared for me, so I killed them.” Her response did not hold the satisfaction of one who took deserved vengeance on murderers, rather she merely sounded tired. “I then hurried to town and sought out Quill, who had been locked in the tavern the Firecats had usurped for their base, but the boy was a shell of himself even before I told him the fate of the rest of the family. He was furious, and he blamed the authorities of Krato and Erika for not doing anything about a gang who had been causing blatant problems for over a year by that point. He said that if they had just done their jobs and cared for their people, all that death would not have happened…and I can’t say I disagree. There are many senseless deaths here in the south because of them…”

“I’m sorry,” Rennigan muttered. “You’re right…and I wish the Citadel agreed.”

As he spoke, his thoughts momentarily shifted to Ilirianna Iiji, who was to succeed her father someday and who was quite outspoken in her desire to improve the country. He could only hope that it was still in one piece when she did claim control.

Jellia gave a soft smile of appreciation before finally finishing her story. “Months later, a group of Erikan officials arrived, probably due to the mysterious tales that had come out due to the Firecats’ demise. Quill had been isolating himself, and I knew he was deteriorating, so I should have expected it, but he marched right to the inn these officials were staying at and killed every last one of them. He left me a note, apologizing, and after that, he was gone. He fled Yisana and I never heard from him again. Even right now, I do not know where he is… Has he…hurt anybody? Has he continued down his path of violence?”

Rennigan hesitated, having not planned to tell her anything about Quill, but that was because he had been expecting her to be more guarded. Her cooperation and genuine emotions told the young man that she was not his enemy, and that if he told the truth, she might be more willing to give him the information he needed more than anything.

“He’s working with the Kosah-Rei,” Rennigan answered. “And as for his path of violence, well, I last saw him at the Battle of Stellareid, so that should tell you more than enough.”

Jellia’s hands gently covered her mouth, her eyes wide with horror as Rennigan told her the truth. “He… He was a part of that horrible massacre?”

“He was,” Rennigan grunted. “He murdered three of my closest friends and nearly killed me in the process. For the last two years, I’ve been following dead-end leads in a desperate attempt to figure out the secret behind his endurance. I will not lie to you, Ms Jellia, for I plan to kill him. And I request of you that you tell me if he has any weaknesses? Is there a way to effectively bypass his defense? I beg of you… If you know…”

Her shoulders slumped with utter defeat, and suddenly, she appeared far older than she had even seconds ago, like she could pass on at any moment. It was unnerving, but before Rennigan could ask if she was okay, Jellia leaned forward and nodded.

“I’m sorry, Mr Glaus, for what he did… I’m so sorry… And I know nothing can ever bring your friends back, but I will tell you what you want to know… I can’t—I can’t have my ability being used to kill people… That’s not what it was meant for… So I promise… I’ll tell you the secret…”

Jellia sniffled again, her eyes so filled with despair that Rennigan wished he could look away. Even so, he held eye contact with her and waited anxiously for her to continue.

***

And there we have it… An answer… A goddamn answer after all this time…

Yet, Rennigan did not feel any relief nor was he victorious as he gazed through the second floor window of his room, the streets of Yisana down below the inn bustling with the crowds of dinnertime. Given the summer season, the sun had still yet to set despite the hour of seven-thirty and the air was still humid and uncomfortable. The water mage kept himself decently cool by regulating his body temperature through water magic, but that spell was still a little too challenging for him, so he gave up and just committed himself to the obnoxious warmth. He had an empty water glass sitting on the windowsill he was leaning his arms against, so instead of trying to magically cool himself off, he cast Aquatani and refilled the glass. He downed it all in one gulp then set it back down and sighed.

So Quill Tyrus isn’t the invincible bastard I thought he was… I was merely going about it all wrong, but then again, back in Stellareid, could I have really succeeded in taking advantage of this trick? It’s not like it’s such a simple thing to do against a skilled warrior like him—one who certainly ensures it cannot be used against him even unintentionally…

Despite all the time it took to track down any information on Quill, the worst was still ahead of him. Speaking with Jellia was only the first step in finally sending his team’s murderer down to hell. Now, he not only needed to find a man who had not been seen since the Battle of Stellareid, but he then had to actually win his battle against him. Both of those were far harder than his previous quest, and chances were good that if he ever fought Quill again, it would not be on his own terms. The Kosah-Rei showed themselves only when they were at an advantage. That’s how it was in Hiriech, Noctalus, and Stellareid, and Rennigan was sure it would only remain that way.

So I’ll simply have to play it all by ear… I’ll kill him…or die trying… Either way, I will face him again…

The joyful visages of Fayela Rio, Hirokol Pafran, and Jessi Yuahl flashed through his mind as they so often did, bringing with them the pain of their loss but the happiness of their memory.

I miss them so much… I wish…they could have been here with me… I wish they could have spent Fourth Year with me, and I wish we could have graduated together. It’s not fair… It’s just not fair…

His fists clenched as he fought back the tears that always threatened him when he was alone. He didn’t have any trouble keeping himself composed when others were around, but loneliness caused him to be engulfed by his mind, and it always ended with him breaking into uncontrollable sobs. The pain of their loss had not eased even in all the time since they died. That was why he was grateful that the door to the room suddenly opened and Ryokumo stalked in.

“Oi, Glaus, are you coming down or not?” he demanded. “Your dinner’s getting cold and if you’re not going to eat it, I will!”

Rennigan smirked to himself then subtly wiped his eyes and turned around to fix Ryokumo with a cocked eyebrow. “Shut up, Caeli. Do not touch my food. I was just about to head down there anyway! Come on!”

Stalking forward, Rennigan moved to pass his friend and head through the doorway, but Ryokumo suddenly placed a hand on his shoulder and brought him to a halt with a soft, “Are you okay, Rennigan?”

The water mage stopped, quickly moving to keep up his mask despite knowing it was futile. “Of course I am! Why wouldn’t I be? We know how to kill Tyrus, finally, after all these godforsaken years. How could I be anything but okay?”

“You can’t hide your tear stains from me, my friend.” Ryokumo smiled warmly, a far cry from his mischievous mocking grins of old. “Now, you know well enough that I won’t force you to say anything you don’t want to say, but if you need to talk about anything, you know my ears are open.”

“R-right… Yeah, well, thanks… But I promise, I’m perfectly fine!”

The wind mage narrowed his eyes with suspicion, but as he claimed, he did not pry as the two of them departed the room and began making their way to the tavern on the first floor where dinner awaited. Rennigan tried to clear his mind, knowing that he would desperately need his sleep that night, for early the following morning, he and Ryokumo would begin the long and tedious journey back to the capital city of Erika.