Alice brought out a sizable plate of meat and bread for Ryk and and a smaller portion for the child to their table. Lucile sat across from them, already questioning Ryk as to what was going on. Alice took a seat next to Lucile, wondering what in the world was happening in her precious tavern.

“So, Ryk. Do you at least know her name?” asked Lucile, who had mostly sobered up at the sudden appearance of a Qualic girl.

“Err… Chiya. They can speak our tongue, but they’re pretty shy. Though they respond well to food.” Looking over, the child was happily eating up the food brought out. “They seem to be about ten years of age, though Qualim tend to be smaller than humans so I could be wrong.”

“They? Why do you keep saying they instead of her?” asked Alice. “I can count the number of Qualim I’ve met on one hand but they’re all like us, men and women.” Alice motioned to Chiya. “Doesn’t look like a boy to me.”

Ryk began to explain, “Well, I can’t say I’ve met many in my life either. But from what I understand, Qualim are sexless until they turn sixteen years of age and choose one for life. Not sure why, but that’s just how it works.” Lucile and Alice looked over at Chiya, who nodded in affirmation of Ryk’s explanation. “Though I hear many Qualim choose many years before they come of age.”

“…so did you ask Chiya?” Alice asked.

“Ask what?” Ryk responded, not understanding the meaning of the question.

“Ugh… I know you’re a good man but you’re one of the dumbest I’ve met,” she retorted, annoyed. Lucile snickered at that. Turning to Chiya, Alice asked, “So, you a boy? A girl? With hair like that, you’re probably a girl, yeah?”

Chiya nodded again as she finished the last morsel of food on her plate.

“See, that wasn’t so hard now? Now you now what to call her.” Alice smugly said. “Oh, still hungry are ya? Lemme get you another plate.” She got up to fetch another plate of food for Chiya.

“So where are your parents, Chiya? Are they here in the city and you got lost?” Lucile questioned. “Nyla is pretty far from either of the Qualic home islands.” The two countries home to the Qualim, the Heisui Magocracy and the Isles of Raen were both a long distance away from the Kingdom of Nyla, as they were situated at the far south end of the continent. To travel there would be a multi-week journey.

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Chiya tugged on Ryk’s sleeve. He leaned his head over as the small Qualic girl whispered in his ear. “She says she and her parents are here to visit Oslo.”

“Oslo, the Royal Mage Academy?”

“Yes. Her parents are guest lecturers at the academy.” This wasn’t abnormal, as foreigners would often come visit Oslo due to it’s prestige as an academy. However, Oslo was a few days journey away from Saint-Lusan and was not a city that tourists would often visit. “But they happened to be in Saint-Lusan to meet the lord of the city, you, Lady Lucile.”

“Strange, I don’t recall Alban notifying me of any guests.”

“I do not recall him notifying me either. However,” he continued, as his voice more serious, “it seems as though her parents were attacked and kidnapped by men in black and red robes, bearing the sigil of a fist laid upon a many pointed star.”

Lucile furrowed her brow as her demeanor became much more serious. “The Sovereign Fist. They’re active again.”

“I believe it is them. For what purpose they for them to kidnap Chiya’s parents, I don’t know.”

“But if they’re here, it means something serious is happening. Only fifteen years ago did those heretics capture Aquelia.” Her voice was getting louder. “And now I’m being told they’re here?! In my city?!” she shouted as she slammed her fist on the table, hitting it with such force that the glasses and tableware rattled. Chiya was visibly frightened at Lucile’s outburst and began to quiver in her seat, and grabbed onto Ryk’s arm. He tried to comfort the small child.

“Lady Lucile, we need to do an investigation, find out the location of their cell and root it out. We cannot go tearing through the streets to find them. Others may get caught in the battle.” Ryk tried to present a logical course of action, one that would be the safest and most through way to discern what was going on. “And when we find them, we can interrogate them.”

But she was having none of it. “Ryk, get yourself ready, we’re leaving to find these heretics and purge them from Saint-Lusan.” Her voice was filled with a burning fury that, despite Lucile’s usually headstrong personality, seldom arose. Lucile in this state was not a person of mercy, and if unrestrained by another voice of reason, was unpredictable.

“Hey! What’s all the ruckus?” Alice’s shouted as she came back to the table with another plate of food. Seeing Lucile angry and Chiya scared, she quickly figured out what was going on. “Oh, off to go save her parents? Off with you then. I’ll watch the girl.” Lucile looked at her friend and nodded before grabbing her greatsword and dashing out of the tavern as the other tavern patrons moved out the way.

Ryk, who was lagging behind, apologized to Alice. “I’m sorry for making you watch over Chiya. Please, take this,” he said as he offered up a gold coin in his hand.

Alice pushed his hand back. “No need, Ryk. Just go do your duty and make sure Lucile doesn’t get hurt too much,” she said, smiling. “Besides, the girl ‘ere needs some comfort after seeing one of Lucile’s special outrages.”

He nodded, and grabbed his own weapon and ran out the door, chasing after his lord, leaving behind Alica and Chiya.

“Don’t mind Lucile too much now. She’s just a bit angry, ha!” she laughed as she sat down and presented the plate of food. “Now then, Chiya, how ‘bout you and I become friends.”