“So… let me get this straight,” said the guard, his face tilted down to his wrist, where a small blue crystal lay embedded within his bracer. A faint light emitted from it, glowing softly. The man’s expression, a focus that hinted at something beyond a casual inspection upon the stone.

“Your name is Enya Empyria… and this skeleton skull you’re holding is a merchant named Pell Meltere?” he inquired, his gaze still flicking in the air above the stone.

Enya noticed his eyes shifting every so often, tracking information she couldn’t see. It was clear he was examining something directly through the crystal.

“Uh, yep!” Enya replied enthusiastically. This was her first chance to talk to someone new. Until now, it had been just bandits in the forest—whose noisy, faraway presence was more than anything she could properly respond to. Aside from Custodian and Pell, this was her first real interaction with another person. The thought was… exciting.

“Alright…” he said slowly, his expression thoughtful as he confirmed details on whatever menu he had pulled up. He seemed to be jotting down her and Pell’s information.

Maybe if she asked, he’d explain the crystal—or better yet, show her what it did. “Hey! What’re you looking at?” Enya asked, leaning forward, her gaze glued to the faintly glowing crystal. There was something fascinating about it.

The other guard, the slim one with long black hair and a sharper voice, stepped forward. “Thomas here is just verifying and recording your statements. We’ve never seen your faces before—skulls either, actually,” they said, their gaze narrowing on Pell before shifting back to Enya with equal curiosity.

“Ooo,” Enya said, her eyes wide with wonder. “Is it like a window? Like a system one?”

“Yeah. All us guards have an Index Crystal connected to the city archive. I’ve got one too,” the guard replied, lifting their arm to reveal a white crystal embedded in their bracer.

“Woahhh, can I have one too, Mr. Guard? It looks really pretty!” Enya’s eyes sparkled as she leaned in closer, thoroughly entranced.

The guard raised an eyebrow. “Mr.?” they asked, their tone layered with mild confusion.

“Brat, that’s a girl—er, lady. Not a Mr.,” Pell said dryly, still held in Enya’s arms.

Enya froze, blinking as she glanced down at Pell, then back at the guard’s face. “You are… a girl guard?” she asked, her tone laced with genuine curiosity.

The male guard on the left chuckled, but it quickly died under the woman’s sideways glare. She turned back to Enya with a patient smile. “Yes, I am a girl guard. A woman to be more accurate. Why’d you think I was a guy? Surely, I’m… a bit more feminine than my partner over there,” she replied, her voice gentle.

“Uh…” Enya murmured, her head tilting as she gazed thoughtfully up at the sky. “I don’t really know what a girl looks like. I know I’m a girl,” she said, absent-mindedly. “I’ve only ever read about them in Pell’s books. They usually say that girls have long hair… and you do, but in almost all the books, the women are described as having really large—”

“HEY, GUARD. ARE YA DONE YET?” Pell shouted, aiming to cut the conversation short before they risked getting turned away, and being labeled as a creepy skeleton. “We’d really like to get inside the city. We’ve been on the road for almost a week, and we’ve got another skeleton waiting back in the forest,” he added pointedly.

The female guard shot a suspicious look from Enya’s innocent face down to Pell’s skull. Even with his skull turned, Pell could practically feel her piercing, critical gaze.

Why did the brat have to phrase it like that? he grumbled to himself. Those books were just standard adventure novels! Blame those hack writers who don’t know the first thing about describing women! I don’t need rumors about me getting around…

The male guard, valiantly attempting to hold back a laugh, wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and coughed to cover it. “Alright. I found a record for a Pell Meltere. Arrived six years ago, went missing on a private commissioned quest along with four adventurers—names Tim, Myuthan, Laprene, and Sarah.” He spoke unconfidently, clearly trying to flick away the previous remark made by the little girl from his mind. Apparently, he didn’t want his partner’s soul-piercing gaze on him, either.

“Yes, that’s me,” Pell confirmed. “I commissioned them through the adventurers’ guild here six years ago. Sadly, all four of them perished on the mission.” After a beat, he added, “Ah, yes, and technically, so did I, as you can see.”

“Right…” the guard said slowly, processing. “I can grant you entry, but you’ll need to provide some proof of identity.”

Pell wobbled in Enya’s grasp, tilting his skull slightly to look up at her.

“Oh—right!” Enya realized, catching Pell’s silent hint. She crouched down, setting him carefully on the ground. Swinging her backpack off one shoulder, she rummaged through it, wincing as her fingers slipped past the sticky remains of shattered potion bottles. After a few moments, her hand emerged, clutching a small, four-pronged medallion. She stood and handed it to the male guard.

The guard took the medallion, raising a skeptical brow as he felt the tacky surface. “Why is this sticky?” he asked, glancing down at Pell.

“Potion spillage. The kid dropped her pack, and the bottles didn’t make it,” Pell explained.

The guard grimaced but held the medallion over his bracer. The crystal embedded in his wrist guard pulsed briefly, a quick flash of light confirming the item. With a nod, he handed it back to Enya.

“Alright. This medallion confirms identity. Pell Meltere, ID Code?”

“Rittertop,” Pell replied, voice slightly muffled with his jaw on the ground.

“Confirmed. You’re free to enter Talo.” The guard gave them both a quick nod. “I’ve sent notice of your return to the guild. However, you’ll need to go there personally to file a full report. And…” He hesitated, his gaze shifting to Enya.

Pell cleared his… throat. “She’s… a noble,” he said in a low voice.

The guard nodded, unimpressed. “So I see. However, I’ll still need to verify her identity.”

Pell’s jaw tensed slightly. “She doesn’t have anything official for that.”

The guard considered for a moment, then looked back at Enya. “In that case, Miss Enya, may I conduct a blood scan to confirm your identity?”

Enya tilted her head. “Uh… okay?” she replied, not entirely sure what to expect.

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The guard stepped forward and held his arm out, aiming the crystal toward her. He paused, glancing at Pell for confirmation. “This… is her blood, correct?”

“Yeah, it is,” Enya answered quickly, beating Pell to the punch.

With a nod, the guard activated the scan. The crystal emitted a brief, intense flash, repeating the same process as it had with Pell's medallion. As the light faded, he pulled his arm back, his eyes darting as he read the system messages that appeared.

“A-a-ah…” His voice faltered, trailing off.

The female guard stepped closer, raising an eyebrow. “What is it?” she asked.

He straightened, clearing his throat. “You’re both free to enter.”

“Yay!” Enya squealed, bouncing in place. She scooped up her backpack, grabbed Pell’s skull, and began to walk past the gates, practically buzzing with excitement. Then she paused, noticing the guards hadn’t handed her an item like the man that headed in before them.

The female guard had already started to reach into her pocket. “Uh, here are your locks—”

“There’s no need for locks,” the man interrupted, his tone suddenly formal. “Please, enjoy your stay in Talo.” He leaned closer to the other guard, whispering, “That girl’s status is too high for a lock.”

The female guard nodded, straightening her stance as she tucked her hands back at her sides.

“Oh—uh, I have another skeleton in the forest. Can he come too?” Enya asked, hopeful.

The guard straightened again, his tone returning to professionalism. “Of course, Miss Enya. No additional ID check is needed for them. You’re free to enter.”

Enya’s smile grew even wider, and she glanced down at Pell in her arms. He grumbled, “Yeah, yeah. He’s coming.”

After about half a minute, the sound of loud stomps that battered the ground came from the forest. Soon, a large visage of a skeleton, one covered in worn, bone armor and seemed strong enough to shatter walls, slowly approached the four of them. Walking next to it, was Pell's headless bone body.

“Ah, could we trouble one of you to bring a small tarp or something, so that we can… cover our treasures?” Pell asked. “Also… I’ll take a lock. I’d rather not have people mistake me for an actual monster while I’m inside.”

Both guards were now staring at the monstrosity that approached from outside the forest. The man’s ears perked up at Pell’s words. “Of… course. I’ll send someone to grab something immediately.”

A thought came to his mind. He turned, shifting his skull upward as best as possible in Enya’s grip. “Hey, we already got full permission to enter. Can’t you just reabsorb Kidirge back into the core so we don’t attract as much attention as we probably already are?”

Enya looked down. “Hmm… yeah? I think we can do that, if Mr. Bones is fine with it.”

image [https://i.imgur.com/ZiLMGqb.png]

Enya and Pell stepped through the large gates. Within Pell’s arms, was the dungeon core, covered by a large white tarp, to prevent wandering eyes from sneaking a peak at what he truly held.

As they walked in, Enya was met with the sight of large and shimmering ivory-white buildings. Bathed in sunlight, the buildings exuded a polished, professionally built elegance, their smooth white surfaces radiating a gentle glow. The city was layered, almost like built upon a hillside, like the buildings were sculpted alongside it. Beautiful stone walkways and stairs seamlessly connected the crisscrossing streets and paths at different levels.

The streets were wide, and lively, but not chaotic. People of all varying heights, races, limbs, wings, hair—everything you could imagine—they all varied. Among them, she saw many humans, and they still made up the majority; however, there were still many others. Even a few Umbrari, that Pell had mentioned, walked among the people. One person, tall and with a large single eye, even had a small squirrel playing on their shoulder.

Voices chattered, with vendors calling out and peddling for people to visit their stores. Other tradesmen and merchants alike called for passersby to view their wares. Their voices echoed out, only adding to the busy atmosphere of the place.

Fragrant spices and smells, beautiful in sensation, flowed through the streets. Far away, stalls of delicious-smelling food wafted down around them. Carriages strolled down the streets, some more opulent than others. Everything was organized, people knowing exactly what to do, and how to move. Alongside the streets, were large poles that held a crystal a top, with light spilling out of them. Their shines were faint, as the sun’s light lit up the city in their stead.

They walked by stores, glass panes that allowed them to see within. Some held trinkets and other oddly shaped items, while others carried swords and armor. Some places offered bright and colorful looking objects. The smell that came from the stores made it clear—they were delicious treats.

As they made their way up the stairs, her gaze shifted to the near center of the city. A gigantic large spire was pinched from the ground, and reached the skies. It was enormous, and the rounded towers beside it made it seem like a miniature castle that she had read about. The sight was… astonishing. It was like the building itself commanded respect.

“Pell…?” Enya ventured, sidling up to his side, her voice tinged with curiosity.

“What?” he replied, glancing sideways at her.

“Why are… people staring at us?” she asked, her gaze flitting between the buildings and the pedestrians around them. Eyes lingered on the odd duo, and the attention felt unsettling. What was it about them that drew so much interest?

“Oh, I don’t know…” Pell shrugged, feigning ignorance.

“I don’t either…” Enya echoed, her tone suggesting she felt a mystery hovering around them.

Pell groaned, exasperated. “Kid, it’s because you’re a short child in expensive-looking clothes, and you’re walking alongside a talking skeleton with a mysterious object covered in a white cloth.”

Her eyes twitched as she processed his words. After a brief glance at Pell, she turned her attention back to the curious onlookers. That… probably made sense. A child and a skeleton together were certainly an odd sight. Never in the adventure books had she encountered characters casually strolling with skeletons—or monsters, for that matter. “No… that doesn’t… seem right,” she joked, her voice light.

Pell rolled his soul flames in a gesture of annoyance.

“So, where are we going now?” she asked.

“Well, I need to head to the adventurer’s guild to give them a report on my last commission. You, on the other hand, we'll at least need to find an inn for the night. We can plan what to do later once we settle down,” he explained, his gaze scanning about the bustling street.

As they walked on, the unusual pairing drew more curious glances and whispered conversations from passersby. Suddenly, the sound of running footsteps approached from the side.

“Heyyy!!” a voice called out, youthful, bubbly, and especially, loud.

Both Enya and Pell turned to see a girl skidding to a stop in front of them, her face flushed with excitement or curiosity—perhaps both. She looked around fifteen, or maybe a bit older, with a slender build radiating wiry energy, as if she were ready to burst. Her hair was styled in a neat, short bob, and her amber-colored eyes sparkled with mischief as they locked onto the two of them. The black skirt she wore, frayed at the edges, swung lightly as she straightened up.

Around the girl’s neck hung a bright red scarf, a striking contrast to her otherwise simple outfit, which consisted of a fitted black jacket layered over a plain white blouse. A purse strapped across her left shoulder bounced with the sudden stop she made, and after taking a deep breath, she spoke.

“Is that… a real skeleton?” she asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity as they darted between the pair.

Enya and Pell exchanged a quick sideways glance.

“Yes?” Enya replied, unsure but intrigued.

The girl gasped, her smile stretching wide across her face. “Oh my god! You sound sooooo cute! Can I hug you? Please???” She crouched down, hands resting on her knees, leaning in eagerly toward Enya.

“U-uhhh…” Enya stammered, feeling flustered by the sudden attention.

Before she could respond, another voice called out from behind the girl. Pell, unimpeded by the sudden interruption, looked ahead to see a young boy—roughly the same age as the girl—running toward them, clearly out of breath.

“Berry… please… god… why… do you… have to keep… bothering people?” he panted, coming to a halt in front of them. His words were breathy. Clearly, athleticism wasn’t his strong suit.

The girl, Berry, bounced up and spun around, excitement radiating from her. “Hey! Look, it’s a walking skeleton!” she exclaimed, proudly gesturing to Pell.

“Yes. I can see that. But why did you have to…” he said, taking a deep breath, “run so fast and bother people?” His voice was plain, not too deep nor too high, and he wore a simple gray tunic with a small black vest layered on top, paired with ordinary black trousers and white running shoes. In contrast to the vibrant Berry, he seemed deeply unremarkable.

She waved her hand dismissively at the boy and turned back to Enya, crouching down once more. “So? Can I hug you?” she pressed eagerly.

“She’s all yours,” Pell answered for Enya, a hint of amusement in his voice.

The teenage girl whipped her head over, and her eyes locked onto Pell’s. Her mouth opened like she was about to say something, but then, sporadically, she closed her mouth, reached forward, and extended her arms out, gripping poor little Enya in a tight bear-hug.