While Athos was off chasing waterfalls, Sally and Emily made their way through the crowds to a rather special place.

A place of drinking and merriment.

A place of fond memories and forgotten sorrows.

A place owned by a particularly surly woman who tried her best to deal with the throngs of people ignoring the fact her inn had patrons who were trying their best to get inside.

Sally had messaged ahead, in plenty of time she figured, but plenty of time in a festive environment like this meant so very little. People were drinking, listening to music, and chatting without a care in the world, so what would one more voice be added to the cacophony?

“Get out of your holly-jolly way before your chestnuts are roasting on my boot up your ass!”

When weapons were drawn?

A lot.

Rapier in hand, one Sammi Lase stood on her counter, fully armed, dangerous, and intent on clearing a path for her friends in a way only a somewhat surly innkeeper could.

“If you don’t want to be a few nuts short on your open fire, make a path or deal with me!”

A few laughed, but only a few as they threw back more of the spiked drink to try and reach their Drunk Three status.

Sammi was ready to start making good on her threat, but another person joined her on the counter with a gentle hand pulling her back from the brink of combat.

“Sammi…”

The tension in the inn was still heavy with Sammi’s threat, but once the other woman got involved, Sally had a distinct feeling that there’d be a chair in her future very, very soon.

“Where’s the fun in a warning if you don’t follow through, Kara?” Sammi said through a determined grin.

Sally groaned and ushered Emily to the side.

The woman Kara jumped off the counter first. Dressed in rather fancy furs showing off her upper arms and with skin a shade of brown like chocolate rather than Sammi’s toffee, she ground her fists with a smile just as dangerous as any her mother could provide.

Then, Kara vanished.

Unlike Sammi, Sally, or even Emily, the girl was lithe in ever aspect, nimble as a fae, and let her hair follow behind her in a trail of moonlight as she shoved people aside or in one case punched them through a window when they didn’t take her partner’s warning seriously.

“Anyone else?” Kara demanded in her quiet, stern tones as a few looked to be squaring up with the smaller woman.

They never stood a chacne.

Drinks spilled and a few more bodies flew as the woman drove elbows and shoulders into anyone who blocked her path to the door.

The rest laughed as they helped the few up that refused or were too drunk to part the throng, but the natives knew better.

Sami and her girl Kara were not to be messed with when a threat was on the table.

Nights of gambling, drinking, and cards taught them that hard won lesson.

With the threat made good, those from Oenus helped to keep a clear path. A few commenting on the Sally they remembered, congratulating her, and saying how big Emily had gotten.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

One brave man commented on how big Sally had gotten and made a move to touch her without her consent.

It didn’t end well.

The gods and laws that governed Incipere gave her a pass on the attack and failed to even attempt to engage the pvp protocol as the impact of her fist against his stomach silenced the throng.

Once he was helped up and out of the way, the path opened before them.

“Can you teach me to punch like that?”

Sally smiled. “When you’re older.”

***

As soon as Sammi closed and locked the door, the four were shown to the back room of the Sunset’s Rest. As with most of the rooms. It was bigger on the inside than the building would suggest. Sally didn’t care why. She just wanted the world to stay straight for a few minutes.

“Sally Queen,” Sammi began, showing her teeth in that rare, wide grin that made it obvious she was Torrent’s sister by more than just name alone.

“Queen-Aramis,” Sally corrected as she not so graciously landed her wobbly form in a chair nearby. “Or did you forget the message we sent months ago?”

Sammi shook her head and waved at Kara, who left to another back room a moment later. “Oh, I didn’t forget. I just figured you’d have wised up by now,” she teased before pulling two more chairs closer to the fireplace. “You got my gift, right?”

“The bill?”

“No, the other one?”

“The other bill?”

Sammi seemed a little confused as she began counting on her fingers. “How many did I send?”

“Seven. One was in Athos’s birthday card.”

“Huh,” Sammi considered. “Well to be fair, Athos does still have a room I have to collect for now that the system’s been updated.”

“You could just set it aside or close it,” Sally reminded her.

Sammi smiled. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Emily felt slightly uncomfortable and shifted in her seat as Kara returned with a pot of something that smelled of at least three kinds of minty heaven.

The server looked to be doing her best to hide a smirk as Sally’s eyes widened.

“No…”

Kara grinned just a bit. “I knew we had some in stock. Triple Mint Tea is a powerful status cleanser. Nausea, fatigue, and even minor poisonings can be cleansed with it. It’s been harder to get the ingredients without a reliable gatherer, but the board gives up a lot of prizes for just a little effort. Just be careful of…”

Like a dragon gathering gold, Sally snatched the still-steaming glass and sipped, ignoring the slight burns as she downed it. The effervescent nature of the brewed leaves filled her nose, burned her eyes, sloshed down through her stomach, and nearly instantly cleared her status effects… with a little help from her mechanist’s class perk.

Eye for Detail Effect Triggered!

Beneficial Potency and Duration increased!

Winded, Nausea, and Fatigued Debuff Status Effects Cleared!

Herbal Protection III Buff Added

Herbal Protection III

Buff - Physical

Source - Superior Triple Mint Tea

For the next fifteen minutes, basic status effects caused by ongoing ailments such as lingering debuffs are alleviated and cannot reoccur for the duration of the buff.

Time Remaining: 15:00

Relief!

As the minty goodness flowed through her data and rendered the twin’s debuffs useless, Sally smirked to herself as she finished the cup.

Momma wins this round.

“More already?” Sammi asked as she waited for her cup to cool.

Sally’s grin had no shame as she held the empty cup out. “Keep it coming.”

Emily snickered but straightened a bit at Sally’s side eye as she took an offered cup.

With a grace and patience her sister failed to match, Emily blew on the hot liquid. When it wasn’t cool enough to drink, she set it back on its saucer on the table next to her. Unlike Sally, she felt the flavor wasn’t worth the burns, but she still didn’t want to seem rude.

She had nothing to worry about as the others began to chat in earnest.

“So, tell me everything,” Sammi said as she leaned forward, using her hands to support her chin as she eyed Sally like a cat watching a mouse. “What have you two been up to besides the obvious?”

Empty once more, Sally wiggled the cup. “Top me off, and I’ll start with the good stuff.”

“Embarrassing?” Sammi asked with an all-so-knowing grin.

“Of course,” Sally smiled, wiggling the cup again.

“Oh, I could use that.”

“Is it worth teasing him with it if it isn’t?” Her eyes rose with her smile. “But, I’ll keep it PG since there are young ears present. Some of my stories aren’t exactly kid friend.”

“Boo!” Kara groaned.

“I concur,” Sammi agreed.

Emily’s face flushed as Sammi and Kara’s smile turned predatory.

“Maybe PG-13?” she grinned, joining the predatory smiles, and rufflling her sister’s hair. “Though I’ll keep the romance to myself.”

“Boo,” Sammi and Kara repeated in unison.