Birds chirping in the morning dew outside his window weren’t the first things Tinz noticed when he woke up the next morning. Rather, he noticed things more slowly; the ache in his bones, the ceiling, the fact his arms could move and the blanket haphazardly piled on them. He dragged himself out of bed, still much too tired to be up and awake. As he noticed Magnolia still asleep in her fortress of pillows, he remembered what he agreed to yesterday.

“Damn,” he bemoaned. Sluggishly he went to the bathroom for a halfhearted morning routine. By the time he came back, Magnolia was awake. She looked full of energy, if not practically bouncing off the walls.

“So? Are we going today?” She asked as Tinz sat back on his bed, now with his hair in his signature ponytail. 

“I mean, I guess, yeah,” he nodded. “We need to pack. And do some research.”

At the mention of research, Magnolia hopped up.

“Not to worry! I had an epiphany while asleep last night!”

“How did you have an epiphany while asleep…?”

She simply shushed him. “I think I have a colleague who knows a family of healers far west of here! I can see if I can contact her…” she said, closing her eyes and focusing.

Tinz’ mouth went agape. “You didn’t think to say this earlier?!” He gestured wildly. Magnolia shushed him again.

“Be quiet I think she picked up–” she glared as light shone around her while she held two fingers to her ear. “Hello? Yeahhhhh hiii uhh– OH yeah I’m fine, mhm!” She nodded enthusiastically, even though the person (Deity?) on the other end couldn’t see her. “Well, I had a favour to ask. …Yeah, another one, listen, I know– I know yeah. Sorry about that! Really, but this is serious. Do you remember that family of healers you knew a few centuries ago? Are they still like,” she gestured a cutting motion with her free hand, “Alive?”

Tinz snorted. 

“Oh! Cool, cool, okay so they’re– Oh. Ah… well I mean that’s okay we can work with that. Oh, ‘we’ is like. I made a friend. …Please don’t yell like that again!” She groaned. “Well I should get going! …When I’m coming back? Uhhh… I’ll have to get back to you on that! Buh-bye!” she yelled as the hand on her ear slammed forward into the air in front of her, as if hanging up a phone violently.

She looked at Tinz. Tinz looked at her.

“So? Are these dudes alive?”

“Wellllll… They are! But most of them left their small town in the mountains for more urban areas, and they don’t do healing anymore. According to my colleague, there’s only a few left in town there that still practice,” she stroked her chin in thought.

Tinz flopped back onto his bed with a groan. “They better be there.”

With a sigh, Magnolia shrugged. “All we can do is look for ourselves and find out. Leeeet’s start packing!” she laughed, clearly looking forward to that.

“...Hrgh. This bag is heavier than I expected it to be,” Magnolia whined as she stood outside the house with Ferry. “Can Tinz hurry up? Ugh.” The Tinz in question was still indoors getting ready. And while Magnolia wasn’t paying attention, the door quietly locked and shut behind Tinz as he left. He leaned up against the side of the brick house as Magnolia still failed to notice him.

“...Hey.”

An ungodly screech was let out as Magnolia threw the bag she was holding. Tinz was barely able to catch it in time, but quickly fell to the ground with its weight.

“What in the hell did you pack?!”

“What in the heck is wrong with you for sneaking up on me?!”

“I asked first– You know what. Nevermind. You’re carrying this,” he got up and somehow managed to hand her the bag back, to which she stuck her tongue out in retaliation. 

Tinz climbed on top of Ferry and settled his bags onto her saddle’s hooks. “Okay, we got food, water, necessities–”

“Phone!” Magnolia interjected, holding up Tinz’ phone.

“...Yes, you have my phone currently,” Tinz nodded. “If the mountains are to the west of here, I think I know how to get there. I guess we’ll just head out?”

“Woo!” she grinned. “Finally, we’re getting somewhere!”

Tinz rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Finally.”