I stepped out of the training room wearing the simple black t-shirt and cargo pants, still a little amazed that something so modern looking existed in this world. Cami clapped excitedly as I walked out and said, “Oh good! You’re done! Now we just need some spending money … Zeanaaaa?”

I rolled my eyes, “Oh, I see how it is. You don’t want me for me. You want me for my money.”

“Yep! Now where is it?”

“I’ll go get it,” I sighed. Cami whooped, and Scarlet chuckled as I led them out of the training hall and back to the hotel.

Cami froze outside the building and asked, “Why are you returning here?”

“Because my money is inside,” I answered, “I need to get the lockbox key in our room.”

“Lockbox key? They have lockboxes?” Scarlet asked.

“That you store all your money in?” Cami asked a greedy glint in her eyes.

“Yes, and most of it. Not all of it,” I answered. Then went into the hotel and climbed the flight of stairs to our room, and peeked my head inside. The twins were there studying from a book they got from school, and Yuki studied with them in the most adorable way possible. Gah, I love that little fox.

I casually walked in and looked through my duffle bag for the key. Once I found it in a side pocket, I took it and turned to see the twins staring at me, with Yuki still staring at the book as though she could read. “Wha’ are ye doin’, big sis?” the twins asked.

“Just going out for a bit. Don’t tell Haze, though,” I answered.

“Don’t tell Haze what?” Haze asked from the bathroom doorway, wiping her hands on a towl.

I froze, “Ummm … nothing.”

“You’re going out with Cami, aren’t you?” Haze asked pointedly.

“Yes,” I answered, a little ashamed. I knew I couldn’t get away with lying to her for very long.

Haze sighed, “Fine, just invite team Ruby with you, and don’t get into trouble.”

I blinked, “Wait, that’s it?”

“I could give you a lecture, but I’ll keep it brief. If you kill anyone, get in a fight, or get killed, then I’ll kill you. Understand?”

I nodded rapidly, “Yes, master. I understand.”

“Good, now get going.” I did as I was told and made for the door. The twins apparently followed me as well cause a second later, Haze said, “Not you two. Keep studying.” Followed by their groans of disappointment.

I walked down the hallway, knocked on Ruby’s room door, and waited patiently. After a minute, nobody answered, so I shrugged and went down the stairs to the reception desk, where a woman sat patiently waiting for something to happen. I got her attention, and she led me to the safety deposit room. The gremlins were just as disturbing as ever. I collected one of my money bags and removed fifteen platinum coins, pocketing them for use before going outside, where Cami waited impatiently.

She turned to me excitedly as she asked, “You got the goods?”

I nodded, “I got the goods.” Cami whooped with excitement and bolted down the road without waiting up for Scarlet or I. We shook our heads and ran after her wondering where she would take us.

***

“Welcome! To the Oaths bar!” Cami exclaimed outside of a building on ground level. The people around were unsavory, with holes in their clothes or just wearing scraps. The bar looked as though it was about to collapse with a crooked sign that read, the Oaths bar. I could hear music coming from inside, and it sounded pretty good, too. It didn’t make the bar look any better, though.

“Great,” Scarlet and I said simultaneously with no enthusiasm. Cami ignored us and walked into the bar. Scarlet and I followed reluctantly as Cami pushed open the door. The inside was a bar mass of chaos. We walked right into a bar fight. People threw mugs of booze and punches at each other while the band played music along with the fight.

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Cami walked right into the middle of it all, expertly dodged, and weaved through the chaos to the bar, where a bartender with a magnificent mustache casually polished a glass mug and ignored the barfight. Scarlet and I skirted around the fight and approached the bar, where Cami talked animatedly with the bartender, and we sat on either side of her.

“Ah, here they are,” Cami said, “Three meads, barkeep!”

The bartender nodded and set down the glass mug before pulling a corked bottle and three wooden mugs from under the counter. He poured the mead into mugs, passed them to us, and said gentlemanly, “That’ll be twenty Lucre.”

I passed him a platinum coin, and he took it graciously. Cami smiled and raised her mug, “Cheers! To our future victories!”

“Cheers!” Scarlet and I cheered and clanked our mugs together. I took a sip of my mead, which tasted sweet, like honey, and a little citrusy. It tasted pretty good. So I drank a little more of it.

We put down our mugs, and Cami turned to Scarlet with a devilish smile, “Sooo, how was your mission?”

“It went well,” Scarlet said without adding any details.

Cami took a swig from her mug, and Scarlet did the same. “Oh, come on, Scar,” Cami said, “You know I won’t give up that easily.”

“And you know I won’t give anything more,” Scarlet countered.

“What are you trying to ask?” I asked not, not following the conversation.

“Scarlet has a massive—” Cami began, but Scarlet cut her off.

“Don’t tell her!” Scarlet interrupted.

“She has a crush! She has a crush!” Cami said in a sing-song voice.

“Ooh, who?” I asked, now thoroughly intrigued.

“It’s—”

Scarlet covered Cami’s mouth as she said, “Don’t tell her!!” then she jerked her hand back with a curse, “Did you just lick my hand?!”

“She has a crush on Shiro!” Cami exclaimed and brought her mead to her lips. Scarlet scowled and pushed on the bottom of Cami’s mug, forcing her to chug. Cami let out a slight exclamation as she chugged, but chug she did until the mug was empty, then Scarlet pushed her back with the mug, and Cami toppled to the ground rolling over her bar stool.

I laughed and sipped my mead, “So, Shiro? Really?”

“Don’t judge!” Scarlet snapped a slight blush on her cheeks, “I like him, and that’s that.”

“Okay, but why?”

Cami picked herself up from the floor, slammed her mug down, and said, “Another mead! And I can answer your question.”

“Please don’t,” Scarlet whined as she took another sip of mead.

The bartender passed another mug of mead to Cami as she said, “Well, then you tell her. Or I will tell her myself.”

Scarlet sipped her mead again, and this time Cami pushed on the bottom of her mug, making her exclaim and grab Cami’s arm. She coughed and said, “Fine! I’ll tell her!” she took a minute to catch her breath before she continued, “You know how Shiro is. Loud and short-fused.”

“Right,” I agreed.

“And you also know how he’s super protective, like when he wouldn’t leave your side when you were unconscious for a month.”

“Yeah, I know. Get to the point,” I said, waving my mug for her to continue.

“Well,” Scarlet’s whole face turned red as she tried to continue. She chugged her mead and finished it, slamming her mug down, and the bartender refilled her mug without a word. She took another swig before she said, “Well, I like that about him. Although he’s all big and angry, he’s doing it to protect the people he cares about. And that’s what I like about him.”

“Awe,” I cooed as I took another sip of mead.

“You have no idea how jealous she was when you were unconscious!” Cami blurted as she finished her second mug. The bartender refilled her mug once she slammed her mug down again.

“CAMI!!” Scarlet yelled as she began to slap Cami.

I looked at the bartender with a raised eyebrow and waved him closer so I could whisper a question. He leaned in, and I asked, “How much alcohol is in this mead?”

“In truth?” The bartender whispered back, “It has no alcohol. You all look like you haven’t even hit puberty yet.”

I nodded, “So, she just thinks that—”

“She’s getting drunk? Yep,” the bartender finished my sentence for me.

“Okay, just checking. Good call, by the way,” I said, and the bartender gave me a wink.

“So!” Cami said, turning to me, “Who do you have a crush on, Zeana?!”

“Me?! No one. I don’t think of that stuff right now.”

“Oh, come on! Tell us! We told you our little crushes!”

“No, you told her my crush. We haven’t said shit about yours, Cami,” Scarlet countered.

Cami rolled her eyes and said, “Fine, my crush is Jax and Xiao. They’re both really cute. And maybe Yang from team Ruby? She’s hot too.”

“So you’re bi?” I asked.

“YEP!” Cami said, chugging her mead, “Now, spill. You have to have a crush on someone by now?”

I shrugged, “I don’t. I’m just not interested in anyone in this new life. It’s probably because I reincarnated as an eight-year-old!” I said pointedly.

“Yeah, a very mature eight-year-old,” Scarlet countered.

I turned my attention to her and pointed to my chest, “As you should know, these aren’t fat sacks. They are pure muscle.”

“Don’t mind her,” Cami said in a very loud whisper, “She’s just insecure!”

“As if!” Scarlet said with a huff and chugged her mead. The bartender refilled it.

“Yeah, sure thing. Now back to Zeana. Are you SURE you’re not interested in anyone?”

“Yes, I’m sure!” I sipped my mead and turned to the bartender, “Is there anything fun to do around here?”

The bartender pointed to a staircase to my right, which the barfight was in front of, “Up the stairs. On the left side of the bar is poker, and on the right is blackjack.”

I took my mead, finished it, got my refill, and said, “I’m going upstairs to gamble. You two, stay out of trouble, or else Haze will kill us.”

“HAI!” Cami agreed, raising her mug, and I took my mead and walked up the stairs to try my hand at the tables.

***