Within the hour the group found themselves at the outer walls of Adanac. It was similar to Tairan, but seemed to be thicker and better built. Guards stood atop it, scanning the horizon for danger. Unlike the village before, they were able to enter without Lilith displaying her Slayer ID, and the guards at the gate welcomed them with a smile. Even with the sun starting to set the city was bustling. They had entered through the traveller's district, so the streets and shops were packed with Slayers and merchants of all kinds. Shops lined the roads with large display windows showing off their wares. Anything one could need for traveling was present with clothes, armour, food, and even medicine. Music could be heard in the distance, bringing together the welcoming atmosphere.
Damien looked around in awe, “Woah, so this is what a Slayer district is like!”
“Oh yeah, I guess you weren’t a high enough grade to get a tour back then,” Daniel pondered, then smiled, “Pretty neat, isn’t it? This place is even nicer than Tairan’s was.”
Lilith scoffed, “Boy, Tairan really babyed y'all. Aight, we can explore while we get you both some new clothes. C’mon, there’s a good shop nearby.”
“Right,” Damien nodded, then turned behind them, “Come on, let’s…” their voices trailed off before they looked back with worry, “Did anyone see where she went?”
Lilith looked around and growled, “Gah! How could you lose her already?”
“I-I’m sorry! She just disappeared!”
Daniel glanced around before chuckling, “Found her.”
They looked to him and followed where he was pointing. Thankfully, a cat Seraph dressed in white and blue robes was easy to spot against a pastry shop window. The three ran over to her with a sigh of relief. It was quite the amusing sight, seeing her nose pressed up against the glass with her tail swishing behind her.
Damien looked through the window at the cake on display that had caught her attention, “Hmm, fruit, cream, and sponge cake. That sounds pretty good.”
The Seraph nodded eagerly, “Yes, someone bought it for me in Perris. It has gotten me addicted to sweets. It is mildly concerning, but…” she paused, drooling at the thought, “they are delicious.”
Daniel peeked in over the two, “Huh, the cake’s called Charlotte. That’s a pretty cute name, no?.”
“Hm, being named after my favourite food. Yes, I do like that.” She smiled, and for a brief moment Damien swore they saw joy in her eyes, “From today onward, my name is Charlotte...”
Daniel stepped away to see Lilith rummaging through her change pouch, “Uh, what are you doing?”
“I’m seeing if I can afford that cake,” she counted desperately, “I… I need it.”
Charlotte looked at her with starry eyes, “So you, too, understand the pleasure of cake?”
“Uh, duh!” She grinned, then passed Damien and Daniel some money, “This should be enough for ya ta get some new clothes.”
Damien took the handful, which was certainly no small amount of coin, before looking at her in confusion, “You’re not coming?”
“Nah, you both pick out whatever that can buy ya,” she looked to Charlotte with a big smile, “C’mon, we’re gonna bond over some cake.”
The two girls walked off into the shop, leaving the siblings alone.
“Well,” Daniel started, “that certainly happened.”
Damien shrugged, “I suppose it’ll give us some time to explore in quiet.”
Daniel chuckled, “True. Let’s take a look around then.”
The next couple of hours consisted of the two searching for clothes while snacking on the remainder of their food. It was comforting, in a way, for them to do something as simple as shopping. They had lost much, but in the end, they still had each other.
By early evening they had acquired their new outfits. Proper Slayer attire was expensive, but Lilith had given them enough to suit up with starting gear. Damien had focused on a sturdy vest and undershirt with minor defense enhancements, while Daniel took the flashy route with a long coat of red and…
“Pink?” Lilith cocked an eyebrow, “you chose reds and dark pinks as your colours?”
Daniel grinned, “Sure! I thought the design looked snazzy, and they match this cool scarf I found! The guy said it was infused with good luck.”
Lilith walked over and examined it closely, “Uh huh… he didn’t tell ya it was blood armour, did he?”
“Yeah, why?”
She sighed in annoyance, “You idiot. Blood armour ain’t cheap, and it’s certainly not that shade of red. Ya got scammed outta my money!”
He looked at it disappointed before smiling sheepishly, “Who knows, maybe it’s got some merit?” The comment resulted in a light punch to the arm, “Gah! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
“Augh, whatever, let’s just get to the Slayer Hall.”
With evening upon them the streets had gone quiet. As they entered the large building, it became apparent that most of the Slayers had come to the building for food. It was impressive just how large the interior was. It had the appearance of a tavern yet the size of a church or large library, and even had a second floor. The tables were filled with Slayers, conversing and laughing with their teams. It was loud and bright, but jolly and warm.
Damien inched closer to Daniel, not wanting to get lost in such a large crowd.
“Follow me!” Lilith shouted, her voice barely audible, “We gotta head to the desk up top!”
Daniel took Damien’s hand and Charlotte latched onto Damien’s free arm as they weaved their way through the bodies towards the stairs. It wasn’t until they reached the steps that they finally had some breathing room. The upper floor was far more quiet with only a few Slayers present. There were a couple tables, but the floor seemed to consist mostly of boards, papers, and pamphlets. A few teams, and even some solo Slayers, loitered around the postings in contemplation.
They walked down the hall to the back area as Lilith explained, “This is where all the job postings are. Downstairs is just fer food ‘n stuff.”
“Is it always so loud down there?” Damien asked, still shaken from such a tight crowd.
“Only in Adanac. It’s really chill in this city, almost like a vacation spot. If yer in Adanac yer takin’ a break, celebratin’, or just new.”
“Heh, sounds like my kind of place,” Daniel commented with a sly grin.
They arrived at the desk where a receptionist greeted them with a smile, “Hello, welcome to Adanac’s Slayer Hall. How may I be of assistance?”
Lilith grinned, “I need two Slayer application forms, a team registration form, and a Seraph confirmation sheet.”
The woman laughed, “My, you’ve been busy. May I please have your Slayer ID?”
Lilith passed her her card, “Here ya go.”
“Ah, thank you, miss-”
“Lilith Nodin, the infamous Zephyr.”
Damien and Daniel jumped at the sudden new voice. They turned around to see a sly looking Slayer with dark brown hair and confident blue eyes. He wore a simple low cut red jacket and black pants, but the way he carried himself made it clear he was strong.
Lilith straightened up and reluctantly turned around, “Hello… Gary.”
He cringed “Geh, s-stop calling me by my first name! It’s Shadow. Lone Shadow!”
She scoffed, “Right right, lone slayer of the Shade or whatever cheesy line you use.”
He chuckled, “At least I have a reputation for doing my job well, miss eternal B-rank.” His grin grew as she growled at the comment. He then turned his attention to the others, “What are you doin', Lil? You actually convinced a couple poor saps to join you? How much did she pay you?”
Daniel did his best to keep a smile, “We’re here of our own volition, thank you.”
“Oh ho, Tairan accent! That explains it, just too new and naive to understand what you’re getting yourselves into.” Shadow grinned.
Damien narrowed their eyes, “Tairan was perfectly fine in training its Slayers, and Lilith is a perfectly capable leader.”
Shadow rose his hands in playful defense, “Yeah, sure kid, definitely. Though if memory serves, I don’t think there’s any Tairan born that are currently S-rank. Lilith certainly never will be, not with her record.”
“We’ve had plenty of S-ranked Slayers come from our city!” Damien countered as they grew more irritated, “We’re the only city to ever produce an S-ranked healer, unless you’ve forgotten Gentle Touch?”
“Psht,” he waved a dismissive hand, “so you all produced one amazing feat of a Slayer, big whoop.”
Damien crossed their arms and glowered, “And what do you have to show then? You’re an A-ranked Slayer with hardly any high tiered jobs to his name, let alone anything major done solo. I hear there’s even rumours of people thinking you’re a fraud that paid his way through the system.”
Silence.
“W-where did you see that?”
“Public. Records.”
A bewildered whisper, “No one ever reads those.”
“Well I did, and frankly I’m starting to see why those rumours came to be.”
Shadow laughed with nervous irritation, “Listen here you brat. I could take on anyone, anytime. I have plenty of experience under my belt.”
Damien smirked darkly, “Oh? Is that a challenge?”
“Heh, maybe it is! Meet me outside, I’ll have a light mage at the ready.” He turned and sauntered down the stairs.
There was a moment of silence before Daniel looked to their sibling nervously, “Uh, Damien…”
“I know! I’m aware.” Damien slammed their hands to their face, “Dammit! I did it again!”
“I’m sorry, that’s a habit of yers?” Lilith questioned, completely baffled,
Damien sighed, “I used to be really bad for picking fights when I was younger. I thought I broke that habit but, gah, he just really pissed me off!”
“A curious one, that Lone Shadow,” Charlotte openly pondered, “His emotions were wildly all over the place.”
“You could tell?” Daniel asked.
She nodded, “Yes, Seraphim can read the emotions of others.” She looked to Damien, “Your sibling is feeling greatly anxious, for example.”
They sighed, “Augh, don’t remind me.”
Lilith walked over and patted them on the back, “Well, ya can’t back out now. So uh, good luck?”
“Yeah, thanks…”
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